


Masks, Fake Names and Broken Promises

by Tammyiia



Series: What Lies in the Dark [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Blood, Camping, Captivity, Crests (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Curses, Fairy Tale Elements, Fluff, Human Experimentation, Kidnapping, M/M, Reincarnation, Vampires, those that slither in the dark, ttsitd
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-17 18:35:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 25,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29355057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tammyiia/pseuds/Tammyiia
Summary: Something lives in the Fraldarius crypts.Glenn wears a mask whenever he visits the tombs. Enforced with magic, it hides his identify, protects him from being charmed like others before him. His forefathers captured 'it' and now it's his duty to protect the Fraldarius secret.He taunts a younger Felix about the monster that hides in the dark, with his voice like honey and his incessant need for blood. Glenn claims the monster as a friend.Felix isn't interested.Bur when Glenn and Dimirti go missing on a camping trip, Felix enlists the help of the monster in the crypts, he has no other choice. Felix knows Glenn is still alive - he has to be.
Relationships: Felix Hugo Fraldarius/Sylvain Jose Gautier
Series: What Lies in the Dark [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2169597
Comments: 13
Kudos: 65





	Masks, Fake Names and Broken Promises

Felix

Felix peered down into the dark tombs of the Fraldarius estate. He’d been told by his father to never venture down there, due to crumbling ceiling and the chance of running into animals that had made it their home. Though the way he had said it always struck Felix, his father was leaving something out. He wasn’t too bothered by it however, he’d never been one for exploring and why would he want to go somewhere wet, dark, and dirty?

It was Glenn that had told him that a monster lived down there, Glenn that had explored the darkness and came back with stories to tell Felix in the dead of night. Stories of a monster with gleaming eyes, pointed teeth and a smile that could charm you into staying in the tombs forever.

When he was younger Felix was terrified of going down there. Glenn would always taunt him before disappearing into the dark and coming back hours later. As he’d gotten older, he’d become less scared and more disbelieving, choosing to rather believe his father’s words.

That was before Glenn had gone missing.

He’d gone camping with a friend, Dimitri, both were missing and presumed dead. Killed by a wild animal, that’s what the police report had said. There had been blood at the campsite, both Dimitri’s and Glenn. The campsite was a mess, the tent torn to ribbons.

Felix couldn’t find it in himself to believe the report. There was no way that they’d both be taken unawares. Dimitri may sleep like the dead, but Glenn was a light sleeper and shrewd to a fault. Dimitri was also strong as fuck, there was no way a bear or something could have dragged them both off.

So that brought him to the tombs.

Glenn still went down there even now, claiming to be visiting his ‘friend’. If there was a monster down there and it was Glenn’s friend, maybe it would help him. Or maybe it was all a big joke, but with magic and crests in this world, there was always the possibility of monsters. Even if the last of the demonic beast were slain a thousand years ago.

Felix put on Glenn’s magically infused mask to hide his face from the monster. It covered the whole of his face, the crest of Fraldarius emblazed on the front. Glenn had told him that it’d been passed down in the family, to hide their identify from the thing that lived beneath the manor. Glenn has also mentioned he used a fake name, but the creature always knew he was lying.

He turned on the flashlight on his phone, his hands were freezing cold but steady. He took his first step into the dark, the light only illuminating six foot ahead.

The walls came in close, as he carefully trod down the stairs, he would be able to touch both side with his hands only outstretched slightly. There wasn’t a handrail for him to hold on to and the stairs were deep. Felix was afraid of tripping, rather than anything that could be down here. The knife in his boot would solve a lot of problems, but not a broken ankle.

Down, down, down.

The further down he got, the colder it became. It smelt damp, like soil after rainfall. How anyone could live down here was beyond him. Monster or not.

The stairs gave way to a hallway, opening up into a huge room. Stone coffins, six in total, spanned the room. His ancestors, long dead. The original Felix Hugo Fraldarius was buried down here, the war hero. His father, the history nerd, had named Felix and Glenn after the original Fraldarius brothers. Felix shared his name, he also shared his hate of sweet things according to the history books. The floor was stone and from what Felix could see it was well looked after. Maybe Glenn swept down here.

Felix moved the light over the room, looking for any signs of the beast that was supposed to be hiding down here. His light flashed over a door on the left side of the room. Felix moved towards it, his steps echoing. The ‘clip, clop’ of his boots was too loud for his liking.

He reached for the doorknob, the cold metal almost painful as he twisted. The loud click, as it stuck surprised him. Locked.

Felix could see a keyhole, something Glenn had failed to mention. He didn’t have a key and there wasn’t another door in this room. Glenn didn’t mention a key, he could have taken it with him or hidden it in this room somewhere. So, Felix would have no chance of finding it.

Good job he’d come prepared.

He took out the lock picking tools he’d found under his floorboards. The last person that had his room had hidden a lot of things under his floorboards, the dagger in his boot included.

He’d practiced with picking locks for years. He was pretty confident in his abilities. He knelt down and carefully fiddled with the old lock, making sure to use just the right amount of pressure. The familiar click of the lock sliding into place. He smirked to himself, standing straight, pocketing the tools, and opening the door.

The door creaked as he pushed it open. A soft light was already glowing beyond the door. Felix’s heart jumped into his throat. Someone was down here already, just like Glenn said. He pushed the door the rest of the way, revealing the room beyond.

The bars were the first thing that caught Felix’s eyes, partitioning the room from ceiling to floor. A plush chair was on his side of the room. The other, looked fully furnished. A bookshelf, a bed, a desk with an oil lamp.

It smelt clean in here, none of the damp soil smell Felix had been smelling throughout the rest of the crypt.

“It’s been a while, Jack. I almost thought I’d scared you away.” A silky smooth voice addressed him as he stepped into the room.

Felix’s head whipped round to a figure, leaning against the far wall. Just outside of the glow from the lamp. He wasn’t looking at Felix, so he couldn’t see the gleaming eyes and menacing teeth that Glenn had described.

“I’m not Jack.” Felix said, making sure to keep his voice even. His heart was thundering in his chest. His hands had gone clammy.

The man straightened up and moved into the light.

His skin was pale, as if he hasn’t seen the sun for a very long time. He was taller than Felix, broader too. He looked to be in his early 20’s. With deep red hair, the colour of autumn leaves, artfully styled and curling just short of his eyes. His eyes were dark and endless. Felix found himself glancing away as his cheeks started to glow under the mask.

This man was very attractive. He understood what Glenn had said about being charmed to stay down here forever.

“Oh, so you aren’t. A new Fraldarius, how exciting.” He didn’t sound excited. His tone was mocking.

Felix grit his teeth. Looking at him once again. He was smiling at Felix, showing off his pointed canines. His hands were clenched around the bars, Felix didn’t want to get within grabbing distance. He took a step further into the room.

“Jack went camping-“

“Oh, so you’ve decided to pay me a visit instead, how kind.”

“- he’s missing, they think he’s dead.” Felix finished. His voice completely void of emotion.

The menacing look vanished from the stranger’s face, a flash of sadness showing before it was hidden again. He stepped away from the bars, walking to the desk, back turned.

“That’s a shame. I liked Jack.” He didn’t sound like he was lying. “I guess that makes you my new keeper.”

Felix wondered what exactly happened down here. Why was his family keeping this guy a prisoner? Was this an elaborate prank that Glenn had set up? Social media would eat this shit up.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. What the fuck is all this?”

The man picked up a book, casually sorting his desk as he refused to turn back to Felix.

“I’m the Fraldarius’ dirty little secret. The monster hidden in your cellar. One of your lovely ancestors caught me and locked me away and every generation a new Fraldarius becomes my jailer.”

“Why?”

Felix jumped in surprise as a hand slammed out inched from his face. He hadn’t noticed he’d taken a step closer to the bars. The beast snarled at him, his nails had grown into claws as he tried to grab for him. Felix stood his ground, glaring at him through the mask.

“isn’t it obvious? Because I’d rip out your pretty little throat if I was free.” 

“Jack said you were his friend.” Felix stubbornly held his ground

“Jack’s dead.” He snarled.

Felix shook his head. “I don’t believe that, the police said it was an animal attack but Jack’s too smart. There’s no way he’d be killed by some dumb bear.”

Felix took a step forwards, just within grabbing distance. The hands that were outreached towards him grabbed onto his coat, pulling him forwards towards the bars.

He was up close and personal now. He could see the small freckles on the creature’s cheeks, hinting that he’d seen the sun before. He smelled clean, he looked well taken care of. His clothes didn’t have a spec of dirt on them and looked to be designer labels. Glenn was certainly taking his role as ‘keeper’ seriously.

The part in Felix’s brain that should be terrified was probably broken. He couldn’t find it in himself to be afraid of this man turned monster.

“I want your help to find my brother.”

He tugged at Felix once more before releasing him, his expression turning forlorn. He stepped away, back into the shadows.

“I can’t leave this cell. There’s magic on the lock, it can’t be picked or broken. I’ve tried.” He sat heavily on the bed. “I’m sorry about your brother.”

“If I can get you out, will you help me?”

The man snorted. “It’s locked with Crest magic, unless you have a major crest of Fraldarius, we’re fucked.”

Felix grinned to himself and he confidently strode up to the gate.

“Promise me. Promise me you’ll help me find my brother if I can get you out.”

The man looked up. “I don’t make promises with Fraldarius’. A broken promise is what got me cursed in the first place.”

Felix stored that information for later. “Fine. No promises. What about an objective then? The mission is to find my brother, dead or alive. Do you accept.”

The monster lay down on the bed, laying a book over his face. He’s obviously finished with Felix.

“Sure. I accept.”

Felix grabbed onto the bars, forcing his crest to manifest. The shining blue light lit up even the darkest parts of the room as his crest came into being. He pulled hard, the lock clicking and the door pulling open, screeching from not being used.

The monster shot up in bed. Looking at Felix with astonishment.

“How?-“

“Grab your shit. We leave at sundown.” Felix turned his back on him. “What’s your name?”

“Sylvain.”

“You can call me Glenn.” Felix lied.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Felix retreated to the main house as quick as his legs would carry him without running. He didn’t want ‘Sylvain’ to hear his quick footsteps and mistake it for running away in terror. Felix wasn’t quite sure what he was feeling if he was being honest, which he usually isn’t. There was a strange fluttering in his stomach, he felt nauseous and the throbbing in his head wasn’t helping.

He didn’t see anyone as he walked to his room, this place used to be bustling with servants when that was socially acceptable hundreds of years ago. Now all that remained was the cleaning staff that came in once a week and his father’s personal chef.

His father was out, working away from home, trying to distract himself before the funeral next week. Felix didn’t understand how he could just accept that Glenn was dead without any proof, without a body.

Glenn had only been missing for a month and he’d given up.

Without his father here, the manor was empty. He’d sent the chef away last week and the cleaning staff only came by once a week. So, he was alone.

Alone except for the monster that called itself ‘Sylvain’.

Felix had already stocked up on everything that he’d need to search for Glenn. He had enough dried food to last him and his companion two weeks, enough cash to pay for any food or accommodation they’d need and camping equipment. He’d packed ~~Glenn’s~~ his Jeep this morning. It was all ready to go.

He entered his bedroom, removing his mask and taking a heavy breath. His backpack was waiting for him on his bed where he’d left it, along with his fathers gun. Felix was in two minds whether to take it with him. His father would know it was missing but it could be used for protection or to hunt down whatever had taken Glenn.

But wasn’t that why he’d enlisted Sylvain?

Felix rubbed a hand over his face.

The sun was starting to set outside, he didn’t have much time left to decide.

A glimpse of silver drew his eye to the corner of his room. In the setting suns reflection, propped up against his wardrobe, hidden, was the sword he’d found last summer.

He’d spent the year restoring it to its former beauty. He hadn’t told anyone he’d found it, not even Glenn. He was pretty sure it was old as hell and he hadn’t wanted to risk his father giving it to a museum. Plus, he didn’t really have an explanation for how he’d found it, buried behind a trick stone in the walls of the old training grounds they now used as a tea garden.

He grabbed the sword and gave it an experimental swing. It glided through the air with a satisfying ‘swoosh’. Perfectly balanced, sharp as hell and it just felt right in his palm. He decided that this would do, a lot harder to conceal but it couldn’t be tracked back to him like a gun would be. If he did murder someone, that is.

He took his time wrapping the sword and replacing his father’s gun. He sent his father a text to say he’d be staying with a friend for a while and headed out to meet Sylvain. He donned his mask again, he’d be wearing it for a while it seemed.

He had half expected the redhead to have ran away, but when he got halfway to the crypts, the sun almost vanishing from then horizon, Sylvain was there waiting for him.

He had a small bag slung over one shoulder. His hair rustleded in the wind like a gentle caress. He looked like he was waiting for a modelling shoot. If Felix hadn’t seen him down in the tombs, he would have thought he was just a rich-boy-college-student.

Sylvain looked lost in thought as he blankly stared towards the training grounds and stables. Felix arriving seemed to bring him out of it. His motions were too smooth as he walked towards Felix, it was like he was gliding on air. Inhuman.

Felix motioned with his head for Sylvain to follow. They walked to the car in silence, Felix’s footsteps and breathing the only sounds.

“Is this a car? Jack told me about them.” Sylvain ran a hand across the side.

“Yeah.”

Felix walked over to his side and got in. Sylvain copied him.

“Are you going to wear that the whole time?” Sylvain asked, gesturing to the mask.

“Yes” Felix started the engine.

“Isn’t that dangerous?”

“No, It’s magic. I can see though it perfectly fine.”

Sylvain leaned back in his seat, folding his arms. Looking every bit as human as Felix himself. Felix drove and Sylvain stayed silent. Felix was starting to feel unsettled by how silent he was able to keep. No breathing, no twitching, nothing. It was almost as if he had a dead body in the car.

“How long has Jack been missing?” Sylvain asked, two hours into their journey.

“A month. They never found a body, but my father wants to have the funeral next week.”

Sylvain sighed. “A month’s a long time for a human to be missing. You might have to accept that we won’t find anything.”

Felix took note that Sylvain didn’t count himself as a human. “Even if he’s dead, I’ll find him. I’m not leaving him to rot goddess knows where.”

“wouldn’t he make a good ransom? I assume the Fraldarius still have money and status?”

Felix had been thinking about that himself. Glenn would make a good random, but Dimitri…he was like winning the lottery. Although royalty hadn’t ran the country in centuries, Dimitri was an actual Prince. All Felix could think was that if they had been taken, the kidnappers didn’t know who they had. Which could be both an advantage and a disadvantage.

“There’s been no word, it’s been kept pretty hush hush and away from the general public.”

Sylvain made a noncommittal sound and went back to being eerily silent.

An hour later and they were driving through the woods towards the campsite. The headlights illuminated the path for them, the police tape marking that they’d reached their destination.

Felix stopped the car. “We’re here.” He didn’t wait for Sylvain as he got out the car. Going to the boot to collect his backpack.

It was one of those large camping bags, Glenn had bought it for Felix years ago in the attempt to get Felix to camp with him and Dimitri. Felix had never been interested. He regretted that now. He swung it onto his shoulder, fastening it up and grabbing the wrapped sword.

“What’s that?” Sylvain asked, standing right next to him.

Felix almost jumped out of his skin, his heart beating fast, he turned and gave Sylvain the dirtiest look imaginable, with little affect due to the mask.

“It’s my sword.” Felix slammed the boot shut.

“You Fraldarius and swords.” He said fondly. “Did you bring a weapon for me?”

Felix scoffed. “Do you need one? I thought you could rip out throats with your teeth.”

Sylvain put his hands behind his head and leaned back on one leg, looking relaxed and just a little awkward.

“I said I’d rip out _your_ pretty little throat. I’m not so keen on putting my mouth around something dirty.”

The inflection he used caused a shiver to run up Felix’s spine. A part of him wondering what it would be like to have those teeth on his throat. Felix kept that locked down. He walked away from him towards the campsite, careful of where he was treading, though the site had been picked over by so many police boots by now it was almost a useless task.

This was Felix’s last chance to see it. At the end of this week, they’d be cleaning the place up. Bagging all the evidence and sweeping the whole thing under the metaphorical rug.

He stood at the edge of the wreckage. This is the first time he’d seen it in person, having only seen the pictures from the report. The campsite looked worse in person. The tent was fucked. What looked to be a claw mark sliced through the side of it, the other half collapsing in on itself. Bits of sleeping bags were torn up around the place, fluff managing to hang from the trees even a month later. The campfire looked like it had been kicked though, logs scattered everywhere.

Felix couldn’t see any blood, it had rained a lot since they’d initially gone missing. Felix felt guilty it had taken him this long to get out here, but his father had been taking care of it. He’d trusted him to find Glenn, he’d obviously misplaced that trust.

“I can see there was a bit of a struggle. I can smell the blood.” Sylvain said, twitching his nose.

“You can smell it?”

“Did Jack not tell you what I am?” Sylvain asked curiously, a glint in his eye.

Felix didn’t know what to say to that. Glenn had told him that a monster lived in their tomb. To never show his face to It or tell It his name. He’d never mentioned quite what kind of monster It was, and Felix had never been interested enough to know.

Sylvain had taken a step closer, his hand reaching out and holding a piece of hair from Felix’s face and tucking it behind his ear, running a cold finger down his neck. Felix flinched, slapping the hand away.

Sylvain’s laugh twinkled, not at all unpleasant to the ears. “I’m a Nosferatu. I think Jack mentioned that you call us Vampires now.” Sylvain’s tone was playful, but Felix could almost hear the sadness in his words.

“Do you eat normal food? ‘cause I haven’t brought any blood.”

Sylvain’s eyes widened slightly before he put up his own mask again.

“You’re not bothered by it? Your heartbeat didn’t even change.”

Felix wrinkled his nose. “You can hear that?” Felix frowned.

“I have fantastic senses. I’m also very easy on the eyes.” He winked at Felix.

Felix rolled his eyes, ducked under the police tape and walked away. “You’re insatiable. I’ve changed my mind. I’ll do this alone.”

“Aww, come on Glenn, don’t be like that. I’ll behave, promise.”

That was the first time Sylvain had used Felix’s fake name. He didn’t like it.

Sylvain had certainly changed his tune since being out if his cage. Sure, the easy-going small talk sounded forced. Felix just had to remember that Sylvain wasn’t a man, he was a monster. No matter how convincing his act was.

*~*~*~*~*

They circled the campsite. Felix couldn’t really see any footsteps if there were any left after the rainfall. From snapped branches and the way the campsite looked, there had been a clear struggle. As he picked over a branch, he frowned. The snap didn’t look quite right. Almost as if someone had snapped it with their hands rather than under boot.

“There’s more than one blood type here. Maybe an attacker.” Sylvain said. He was crouched to the ground, fingers covered in dirt to his nose.

“He was camping with a family friend. It’s probably his blood.” Felix took the branch over. “Does this look like its been snapped with hands.”

Sylvain took it, sniffing it. “Yeah, someone snapped this. The scent is about a month old.” Sylvain frowned. “There aren’t any drag marks and I can’t smell anything bigger than a fox. Definitely not an animal attack” Sylvain said quietly.

Sylvain stood quickly and sped towards the tree line. Felix followed quickly.

“What?”

“Here, look.” Sylvain said, pointing at the ground.

Felix didn’t know what he was supposed to be looking at. The remnants of a bonfire? The ground looked scorched, but it looked old and there weren’t any ashes or burnt branches that usually came with the leftovers of a campfire.

“Someone’s used a warp spell here. The stench of dark magic is really thick. I think it might have been used a couple of times.”

“A warp spell?” Felix knelt down and felt the earth. “I didn’t think there was anyone left that could actually do a warp spell.”

“Why?”

“Well, magic isn’t really used any more. Technology has overtaken. Some people still get taught how to use faith and reason but it’s few and far between.” Felix explained.

Sylvain was silent for a second, taking it in “What about crests?”

Felix shrugged. “I have one but they aren’t really used for much anymore.”

Sylvain’s face changed, looking closer to the monster Felix saw down in the tombs. His lip curled up, showing sharp teeth, his eyes took on a red glint and he was balling his hands up at his side. The sudden change was jarring.

Felix felt his heart speed up and he was sure Sylvain had heard it. His gaze settled on Felix before he turned away, thrashing out at the tree in front of them.

The noise echoed through the clearing, the crunching of wood breaking. Splinters flying into the air. A flash of light as a crest lit up the sky. Sylvain screamed, a glutaral shout of rage and pain.

The Crest of Gautier.

“What was the point of that stupid war?!” Sylvain kicked the tree for good measure. “I could have just…ughh.” Sylvain sat heavily on the floor, head in hands.

Felix didn’t know what to say or do. He was never really good with people having emotional breakdowns and he was pretty sure that’s what Sylvain was having.

Sylvain who held the crest of Gautier.

Sylvain Gautier?

The traitor who had switched sides during the war, who’d sided with the Black Eagles and betrayed his countrymen. Betrayed his friends and family and left to chase skirts. 

Felix grit his teeth, a sudden unexplainable annoyance flooding him and then…it was gone.

He heard a sudden sob.

Was he? He’s crying.

Sylvain had his knees drawn to his chest, head resting on them with his arms folded over the top. He looked small, fragile. Felix knelt down putting a hand on his shoulder. Sylvain flinched slightly but didn’t make a move to remove his hand.

“Err, it’s okay?” Felix tried.

Sylvain laughed, a small dark chuckle. “It was all pointless.”

Felix felt like he’s be hitting a land mine, but he couldn’t help but ask. “Are you _that_ Sylvain?”

Sylvain looked up at Felix, his eyes were red rimmed, but no tears were falling. He quickly wiped his face with the back of his hands.

“Who knows.”

Felix scoffed. “Don’t try to play coy with me. I saw your crest. What the hell happened? How did you turn into a vampire of all things”

“I don’t feel like sharing.”

Felix took his hand away and stood straight as Sylvain gave him the silent treatment. He stared down at him, willing him with the angry look behind his mask to tell him what had happened. Sylvain chose to ignore him.

“Fine. If you don’t want to talk about it, distract yourself. The warp spell, can you tell where it went?”

Sylvain crawled over to the magically burnt patch, sniffing the ground like a dog. He stood, brushing the dirt from his knees. He turned towards the north, pointing.

“You can’t travel very far with a warp. The scent is faint, but it’s about a mile or so that way.”

Felix sighed as he glanced into the dense forest. It had to be North. Any other direction and they could have used the Jeep. As it was, the trees were too closely packed together.

“We’re walking from here then.” Felix turned back to the car. “Help me get the other bag. You can carry the tent.”

*~*~*~*~*

Sylvain didn’t complain as they walked through the forest. Sylvain carried the majority of their equipment, offering due to his increased strength. Felix didn’t bring up his meltdown, choosing to study their environment.

He expected that the police had at least done a mile radius of the campsite, but they didn’t know they’d been looking for a warp point.

After thee first 20 minutes of walking, Sylvain had found another warp point and pointed North-east. They continued walking, Felix was starting to get tired. After three miles of walking through dense forest, picking over falling logs and dodging branches as they walked in pitch darkness save for the flashlights they’d brought. He wasn’t aching as much as he was expecting, but his eyes were starting to drop. He could walk further. I could do another mile.

“We should rest, set up camp for the night.” Sylvain suggested.

“I can still go.”

“Maybe, but don’t you think we should get some rest whilst it’s still dark. Make the most of tomorrows daylight?”

Felix frowned. “Aren’t you a vampire? Can you go out in the sun?”

Sylvain coked his head to the side. “Sure I can. Why wouldn’t I be able to go out in the day?”

“Vampires can’t- you know what, it’s not important.” Felix huffed.

Felix looked at the time on his phone, no message from his father. They’d been walking for two hours. From wrap point to warp point. It was already 2am. He supposed they should stop for the night.

“Give me the bag, I’ll set up camp.”

Sylvain smiled, handing over the backpack he’d been carrying. “I’ll go find some firewood and start a campfire.”

Felix shrugged, taking the bag. He watched as Sylvain hopped away into the woods. Felix made quick work of setting the two man tent up. Although he had no interest in camping, he’d helped Glenn and Dimitri air out their tents after trips so many times over the years.

He unrolled two sleeping bags side by side. He hung the flashlight from the tents roof.

“I’m back.” Sylvain called.

Felix popped his head out the tent in time to see Sylvain cast a fire spell. Making an instant bonfire.

Felix grabbed two packets of beef jerky and the water from his pack. He left the pack in the tent and went to join Sylvain.

“Here.” Felix said, handing Sylvain a packet and taking a seat by the fire.

Sylvain smiled. “Thanks, but this doesn’t do much for me, so you may as well eat it.”

“When was the last time you ate? Gl-Jack was feeding you right?”

Sylvain raised a perfect eyebrow at the slip up but didn’t comment on it. “He was. So, about a month ago I guess.” He poked at the fire with a stick.

“and you aren’t…er…hungry?”

Sylvain turned to him, a small smile on his lips. “ Oh, I’m always hungry.” Felix suppressed a shiver. “A month is nothing in the long run. One Fraldarius refused to feed me, I waited 30 years for a new keeper.”

Felix’s heart jumped in his throat. 30 years? Someone had done that to him for 30 years? Starved him and left him in a cage. Felix was horrified.

“They starved you?”

Sylvain shrugged. “ I pissed him off. He didn’t even visit after the first year. When his son took over, I was ravenous. I was nothing more than a beast in a cell.”

“I’m sorry.” Felix found himself apologising.

Sylvain surveyed him through lidded eyes. “Don’t apologise. Not like it was you. I probably deserved it anyway.”

“Nobody deserves to be treated like an animal, Sylvain.”

Sylvain smiled, and for the first time it seemed to meet his eyes. Felix felt his heart jump at the sight.

“Thanks, Glenn.”

Sylvain was dangerous. Felix was pretty sure if he’d been Sylvain’s keeper, he would eventually fall victim to that charm of his. Thankfully as soon as he had Glenn back, he never needed to see Sylvain again.

He wondered why that made him sad.

As the fire started to die out, Felix decided that it was time for sleep. He stood, stretched and said his goodnights. Sylvain stayed sitting by the dying fire.

“Aren’t you coming?” Felix asked. “Or do you not sleep either?”

“I sleep.” Sylvain said, rubbing the back of his neck as he got to his feet to follow Felix.

Felix had come to understand that this was one of Sylvain’s tells. A habit when he was uncomfortable or wanted to seem more relaxed than he was.

“There’s separate sleeping bags.”

Felix got inside the tent, pulling off his boots and taking off his coat. He got into the sleeping bag still wearing his clothes and mask. It felt uncomfortable wearing it for so long. He could feel it slightly digging into his face if he tried to lay on his side.

Sylvain copied him, lying on his side to look at Felix. “You’re not going to take off the mask?”

“I’m not.”

Sylvain sighed and rolled onto his back. “You know, I can’t actually charm people. Or make them do something they don’t already want to do.”

“That’s exactly what someone would say if they could charm people.”

Sylvain snorted out a laugh. “What would I even do with a charmed person that I couldn’t do with force.”

Felix didn’t like the sound of that. He’d almost forgotten how strong Sylvain was, the incident in the forest a couple of hours ago seeming like a lifetime ago. He could easily snap Felix in half, take his blood whenever he wanted, he could kill Felix and he wouldn’t be able to do jack shit.

“Jack said a mask was necessary. So I’ll keep it, thanks.” Felix pulled the sleeping bag to his neck, closing his eyes. “Try anything and I’ll run you through with my sword.”

“Ooo, Kinky.”

“Go the fuck to sleep, Sylvain.”

Felix fell asleep pretty quickly. Quicker than he did at home in his own bed. The fact that he was outside, sleeping in a forest for the first time with a monster that could kill him in his sleep. That didn’t seem to faze him.

He was warm and comfortable for the majority of the night. He only woke once. To an arm over his stomach and the quiet whisper of his real name, which he was pretty sure he had imagined. When he woke in the morning, Sylvain was already up and packing away their things. Felix was convinced he’d dreamed the whole thing.

“What’s that smell?” The fire was burning outside, the smell of roasting meat in the air.

“I caught a couple of rabbits. So, I made breakfast.”

Felix blinked the sleep away. He was sure that Sylvain had just said something completely insane. He’s caught and cooked some wild rabbits? Felix got out of bed, pulling his boots and coat. He tumbled out the tent.

The grass and tent were damp with morning dew. He droplets glistening in the morning sun.

The fire was stoked again, a makeshift spit roast placed over the top. Felix blinked in confusion at the meat roasting on pikes. A small pot of water seemed to have been boiled too, with a couple of small cups ready to make tea. They weren’t Felix’s cups and he hadn’t brought any tea with him, so he was a little confused.

“Why did you hunt down some rabbits? I have dried food.”

“Well, it was more for me really. It isn’t the same as human blood, but it beats rats.”

Felix frowned under his mask. _Note to self, don’t ask._

“Where did the cups come from?”

Sylvain grinned. “They’re mine. Jack bought them for my birthday, along with this.” He fished out a little tin of what Felix assumed were tea leaves. “I’ve drank all the bergamot, but I still have almryan pine needles left.”

Felix wrapped his arms around himself and yawned as Sylvain started to fuss with breakfast. It was strange watching him work. He had a weird feeling of nostalgia or déjà vu. It felt natural to watch Sylvain making him breakfast. To be camping with him.

Felix wondered if that was part of the charm that Glenn had mentioned, even though Sylvain had denied it.

Sylvain handed him a cup of tea. Felt took it, feeling it warm though his fingers instantly, it was a pleasant feeling.

“Thanks.” He lifted the mask slightly, just enough to get the cup to his lips. He took a sip. “mmm, hot.”

He’d never had pine needle tea before, but the flavour was amazing. It was earthy and a little bitter but overall pleasant. Felix usually didn’t like tea, but this was great. He took another swig with a delighted noise, which caused immediate embarrassment 

Sylvain gave him a stick with roasted rabbit, flashing a fond smile.

“Thanks.” Felix said in a gruff voice, trying to regain his dignity.

“Your first time having pine tea?” He asked him.

“Yeah, It’s good.” Felix said, picking at the rabbit. He ate in in small pieces, keeping his mask carefully in place.

“I can’t believe you’re eating with that thing on.” Sylvain said, exasperated. “A friend of mine used to love pine tea. I’m not that fond of it but the smell reminds me of him.”

Felix finished off a rabbit and Sylvain chatted about random crap that Felix had no interest in. He didn’t stop him, just listened carefully. For someone that had been locked up for so long, it must be nice talking to someone so casually.

They packed up camp with Sylvain’s chatter and started tracking down warp points again, Sylvain leading them, carrying all the equipment with ease. Felix carried the wrapped sword and a small backpack.

It made Felix feel warm inside as he watched real smiles cross Sylvain’s face as he animatedly talked about ‘Jack’ and the gifts he’d brought down to Sylvain in the past.

Books and clothes and chocolate and teas. Sylvain was a big fan of chocolate, he liked bounty best. Glenn, it seemed had really doted on Sylvain. Felix wondered why Sylvain had stayed locked up, why hadn’t Glenn tried to get him out. Why leave him down there?

He hadn’t realised he’d spoken out loud till Sylvain was answering him.

“Because I’m dangerous.” He’d said sadly. “They leave diaries for the other keepers. To remind them that I’m a monster, that I could rip out their throats at any time I wish. That I need to be kept locked up for the safety of others and if I escape…well…that I’d go on a massacre.”

Felix frowned. Sylvain had been with him for a day now. He could have escaped during the night or killed Felix as soon as he’d unlocked his jail cell. Sure, Sylvain had that meltdown earlier and made a few jokes about sucking his blood. But he was sure that’s all they were, jokes.

“Are you planning on a massacre?”

Sylvain laughed. “No, I wasn’t planning it Fe-Glenn.”

“Then I don’t see any point in locking you back up. Just stick with me, okay…and don’t do anything dumb.”

“We stick together, huh?” Sylvain said, his tone off.

Felix rolled his eyes. “Well, at least until we find my brother. After that, you can do what you want.”

“What if I decide to stick around? Stay with you…and Jack.”

“Then I guess I’ll have to buy my own mask.”

Sylvain laughed, a full belly laugh, the kind that was infectious. Before he knew if he was laughing too.

*~*~*~*~*

Felix’s head ached. It had been like that for a couple of hours now. A throbbing in the back of his eyes. He didn’t want to tell Sylvain, the taller man seemed like he was enjoying just talking to Felix and he didn’t want to ruin that. Maybe he was dehydrated. He drank some water and tried to distract himself.

*~*~*~*~*

After what Felix had counted as the eighth warp point, Sylvain announced that the magical scent had changed. Another person had joined the fray.

“Look here, tracks. They went on foot from here.” Felix said as he ran a hand over the ground. The tell-tale signs, leaves that had been crunched into the earth and snapped twigs. There wasn’t really any foot prints, so Felix could only guess that it was possibly a group of four, give of take a couple.

“Yeah, I can smell Jack and his friend going in that direction.” Pointing deeper into the forest. “This area looks weirdly familiar too.” He sniffed the air. “I can smell the sea.”

Felix took out his phone, a message from his father simply saying ‘okay’ flashed on the screen before Felix deleted it. He opened up google maps and prayed for a signal.

“geez, we’ve really walked a distance. This is the edge of Gronder forest. The sea is just beyond. About another miles walk.”

Felix really hoped they hadn’t gone that way. If they had hopped on a ship or something he’d lose their trail completely. Even though he trusted Sylvain’s capabilities, he doubted he could track through water.

Sylvain had gone strangely silent. Considering all the mindless chatter up to this point, it was unnerving. Felix felt like they were back in the jeep again, uncomfortable without Sylvain’s easy going attitude. His heart sank as he turned to look at Sylvain, the hairs on his arms rising in protest.

Sylvain’s eyes were wide with terror, standing ramrod straight as he stared in the direction that Felix had gestured, towards the sea.

“Sylvain-“ Felix placed a hand gently on his forearm to try to bring him back from wherever he’d gone. “-you okay?”

He looked down at Felix with glassy eyes, Felix watched the moment recognition passed through them and instead of looking at Felix he was actually seeing him again.

“Yeah, sorry. This place- it’s Gronder Field. I didn’t realise…the trees.”

Felix kept his hand in place on Sylvain’s arm, rubbing it soothingly like Glenn had done to him as a kid. When he’d had bad nightmares, the one and only time Felix had camped at Gronder with Dimitri and Glenn.

“Apparently an Archbishop did this shortly after her husband died. They say she planted every tree in this forest as a memorial to her lost students. She wanted this to be a place of life rather than death.” Felix said softly. “Though there’s no way someone did all this on their own, it’s a nice story I guess.”

Sylvain smiled at him, a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “I fought here once, whilst at school. When I was still human.”

Felix continued the slow motions of his hands. So he was _that_ Sylvain.

“I passed through here once more, after my kidnapping.” Sylvain placed his hand over Felix. “80 years later”

“80 years later? You didn’t fight here during the war of unification?” Felix asked, confusion setting in.

The history books clearly stated that Sylvain Gautier had been present during the battle at Gronder Field. Felix Hugo Fraldarius had killed him here or at least mortally wounded him for being a traitor. There were stories that Felix had buried Sylvain at Gronder, in an unmarked grave, weapon and all.

Seeing at Sylvain was standing before him. It would make sense, he looked to be in his early 20’s, the change into a vampire should match up with that time period. Maybe he crawled out of his own grave.

“I know what you’re thinking, and I’ll tell you, like I’ve told all of those that came before you.” Sylvain took his hand, dropping it so they were no longer touching. It was like Sylvain was purposely distancing himself. “I didn’t fight in the war, at all.”

Felix frowned under his mask. “Then where were you?”

Sylvain pointed towards the sea. “Where I suspect your brother is. Shambhala.”

Felix felt a cold wave of recognition at the name, though he was sure he’d never heard of it before. He had a bad feeling about this. Sylvain didn’t explain any further. He turned away from Felix, finishing the conversation. Felix was starting to get a little frustrated with Sylvain purposely holding back information and annoyed at himself for wanting to force it out of him.

“We should camp here for the night. Tomorrow we infiltrate Shambhala.” Felix announced.

“I need a weapon. My claws and teeth aren’t going to be much help. How are you with that thing?” He nodded to the sword Felix had kept close.

“I’ve never killed anyone before if that’s what you’re asking.” Felix crossed his arms. “I’m pretty apt with a Thoron.”

Sylvain dumped their equipment and started to set up the camp, like Felix had shown him the night before.

“I know a few spells. I’m pretty rusty though. I’m better with a lance.”

Felix uncrossed his arm, placing a hand on his hip. “A lance?” he said quietly to himself as he surveyed the trees.

The area looked strangely nostalgic, but wrong. Was this where he’d come camping once before? He couldn’t remember the nightmare from that time clearly. All he remembered was being terrified. Someone calling to him and laughing from the top of a skeletal horse and the mocking way someone had asked ‘remember the promise we made as kids.’, before he was covered in blood and grime.

A tingling at the base of his ear started to irritate him. It almost felt like a migraine was coming but worse. It was the same feeling he’d had when he found his sword. An inexplicable pull. He’d been struggling with a headache all day, but this felt different.

“Set up camp, I’ll be back in a second.” He muttered, walking off into the trees.

Sylvain didn’t follow him, which he was glad of. He walked a little further into the trees. Mindful of the way that he’d travelled so he could find his way back to the campsite. Back to Sylvain.

He wasn’t sure what his plan was but the further he got away from the campsite, the less he felt like himself. It was like the time he’d found his sword. One moment he’d been in the stables, staring at Lady, the horse his father had bought him as a failed bribe. The next, he’d felt sick and dizzy and he’d woken up in the tea garden, sword in hand.

A chill went up his spine.

Here.

He dropped to his knees and stared clawing at the earth. His fingernails pushed into the firm dirt and drew back, taking chunks of grass and soil with it. Felix didn’t feel like he had any control over it as he dug and dug, flinging soil in every direction. His nails had started to break, dirt pushed so far into the little stubs that he wasn’t sure if it was blood or dirt under them.

It was as if he was possessed. He couldn’t stop, he didn’t want to.

It had started to rain, he hadn’t noticed.

Not till Sylvain was pulling him up by his shoulder.

“What the hell are you doing?! You’ll catch your death in this weather.”

Felix struggled in his hold. There was something hidden in the soil. He could just about see the top of it. A yellowing white bone like thing covered in dirt. He had to get to it, uncover it. It was calling to him. A vibrating in the back of his head, itching, wanting to be scratched.

His feet left the ground as Sylvain hauled him into his arms. His back to Sylvain’s chest, arms pressed to his sides.

“What’s gotten into you? Stop wriggling!”

“Let me go!”

Felix didn’t understand why Sylvain was getting in his way, couldn’t he feel it. The buzzing from the things hidden in the ground.

Felix’s arms were constricted to the side as he wiggled in Sylvain’s hold, kicking his legs out to try to break his hold on him. The redhead was stronger than he’d given him credit for, Felix couldn’t move, the arms around him like stone pillars. He could feel the hot muscle underneath and knew that his arms were soft. Flesh.

Felix turned his head to the side, the mask riding up just so and bit him. Hard.

“Youch!” Sylvain dropped him. “You bit me?!”

Felix fell to his knees, securing the mask once more. The ground was wet and pliable. As he clawed the ground, the thing beneath coming to the surface. He could feel Sylvain behind him, looking into the hole he’d made.

“No way, there’s no way.” Sylvain whispered.

Felix’s hand curved around a pole. He pulled and scrapped away the dirt. With a mighty ‘thwup’ he pulled it lose from its dirt grave, like Excalibur from the stone.

In that moment, he came to his senses. Sat on the ground, his hands and clothes caked in mud. The rain had soaked him right through to the bone, his hair a damp mess falling into his face. He was freezing cold, he couldn’t feel his hands. They curled around the bone monstrosity in his hands.

“…Syl…” Felix shivered.

The thing in his hands pulsed, it shivered back.

“You’re freezing, let me get you somewhere warm, please.” Sylvain said. His voice was quiet and weary.

Felix allowed him to pull him to his feet without any resistance. He huddled into Sylvain’s warmth and wondered how a vampire was able to exude such body heat.

“I don’t understand.” Felix chattered.

“I’ve been looking for you, when it started raining and you didn’t come back, I started to worry.” Sylvain put his arm around Felix, eyeing the lance. “Maybe you should let me take that.”

Felix stared at the thing. It looked like a lance. Except for the weird glowing jewel in the middle and the pointed bone like points that were reminiscent of claws. As he stared at it, the lance quivered independently.

Felix all but dropped it as he handed it off to Sylvain with a look of disgust.

“What the fuck is that thing?”

“It’s the Lance of Ruin. I don’t get how you knew where it was buried. I was calling your name, you looked like you were in some sort of trance.”

Felix huffed. _So, it happened again._ Though the last time he’d blacked out, he’d woke up in his tea gardens, sword in hand. Safe, dry and not covered in mud. 

The beating in his head had lessened slightly but he still felt sick, his head felt like an eggshell ready to be broken open. He just wanted to be somewhere warm again. To curl up in his sleeping bag and be dry and clean.

“You also bit me.”

“Can we talk about it later? I’m so fucking cold.” Felix said, teeth chattering.

Sylvain walked Felix back to the campsite, running his hand up his arm, trying to get him warm and shielding him from the rain that was still falling. Sylvain had done a good job setting up. The campfire was roaring with, what Felix suspected was a fire spell. The tent looked perfectly set up, not a pole out of place.

A rabbit and a pheasant, both dead, lay by the fire. Ready to be cooked. He could see flecks of blood on the rabbits’ fur coat, Sylvain must have already drained them of their blood. Was it safe to eat something a vampire had sucked the blood out off?

“Here, we need to get you out of those wet clothes.” Sylavin said. He manoeuvred Felix into the tent. Getting him to stand on the groundsheet so he wouldn’t get dirt everywhere. He placed the lance down and started to help Felix out of his clothes.

Felix didn’t know what to do. His hands felt useless and frozen by his side. Letting Sylvain do this felt oddly familiar. Although he was having an outer body experience as he felt like he should be the one caring for a drenched Sylvain.

Sylvain made quick work of his boots, making him lean his body weight on him as he undid the laces and pulled them off. His socks were thankfully dry. Sylvain frowned at him and went to undo his belt, his hands stopping just above.

“Er, Glenn, I need to get you out of these wet clothes. Can I, goddess, can I undress you?”

Felix looked past his shoulder. “When did it get so dark?”

Sylvain looked concerned but was silent as he started to quickly strip Felix of his clothes. He knew he should probably be embarrassed as Sylvain made him step out of the soaking wet trousers, but he couldn’t find it in himself to blush.

“I can’t believe you weren’t wearing your coat.” Sylvain said as he unzipped his hoodie, throwing that to the side. It slopped to the floor.

Felix was starting to feel drowsy, his eyes were dropping, swaying on his feet. Sylvain made him sit down, getting his shift off over his head with some difficulty. The mask stayed put.

“You’ve got to stay awake okay. I’ve made up some nice pine tea.”

Felix nodded.

Sylvain took off his waterproof coat, the sweatshirt he was wearing followed.

“You, whaaat are you doinggg?” Felix slurred. Sylvain roughly threw the sweatshirt over his head, pulling his arms through.

It was warm. Really warm. So warm that if felt like it was burning his skin. Felix wanted to take it off.

“You need to keep that on. I know you want to take it off, but we need to get you warm again, okay Glenn.”

Felix wondered why he was calling him Glenn. Sylvain knew his name. why wasn’t he calling him Felix?

Sylvain wrapped a sleeping bag around his shoulders and hugged it to his body.

“You going to be okay while I get the tea?” Sylvain asked.

Felix nodded. Pulling the sleeping bag close. The mask was uncomfortable. He wanted to take it off, but still had Glenn’s warning reminding him. Sylvain was a monster that would charm him. Sylvain was a monster?

Sylvain left and returned quickly with tea in hand, he made Felix wrap the blanket around it and wouldn’t let him cold it with bare hands. It was warm but not unbearably so.

He felt like they’d done this before. A strange sense of déjà vu again. Though instead off Felix being wet and cold, it was Sylvain.

“It’s like that time.” Felix chattered, his words slurring at the end.

Sylvain got behind him, starting to dry his hair with a hand towel. He gently wiped way at the back of his head, pulling his hair out of it’s braid and carefully unravelling it.

“Hmm? You have a habit of catching hypothermia?” Sylvain ruffled the towel through his hair.

“No,” Felix’s head pounded. It was on the tip of his tongue. Like trying to remember a dream in the morning. “You. The Well. Uggh, I’m not making any sense.” Felix said, shaking the fog away. He pulled up the mask slightly, the tea burning as it went down, warming him from the inside.

Sylvain’s ministrations had stopped, he’d frozen behind Felix.

“How do you know about that?” Sylvain said softly.

“I don’t…I don’t know. My head is fucking pounding.”

Sylvain went back to drying his hair. “You knew where to find the lance too.”

Felix frowned, drinking the tea. The more he drank the better he felt. This tea had a weird tinge to it. Almost sweet. “Did you put something in this?”

He felt Sylvain shrug. “An old Concoction I’ve been saving. I can’t do faith magic anymore. You sound better, so it must be working.” Sylvain continued to dry, brushing his fingers through his hair to get out the tangles.

Felix felt a shiver go up his spine at the gentle touches. A good shiver, nothing like the death shivers he was having half an hour ago. He felt a blush rising to his cheeks as Sylvain continued. It felt nice. Good.

“The Lance.” Sylvain prompted.

Felix huffed as he drank again. He hoped this concoction didn’t give him a stomach-ache.

“Sometimes I just know things.”

“Like a wayseer?”

Felix shrugged. “I’m good at finding things that are lost. Maybe I’ve been blessed by the Goddess.” Felix said sarcastically. “Maybe I’ve been cursed. I get such a headache after.”

Sylvain worked at braiding his hair, keeping silent.

“I haven’t told Jack anything. So you better not either.”

“Your secret is safe with me, Glenn. If you ever feel like that again, tell me. I’ll follow you, keep you out of danger. We’ve got to stick together after all.”

Felix snorted but smiled beneath the mask.

*~*~*~*~*

He warmed up pretty quickly after that, the headache subsiding. Sylvain made pheasant stew from things he’d foraged in the wood. Wild mushrooms, wild garlic and potatoes that he’d somehow found too.

It was soo good. Felix wasn’t sure how he’d spiced the dish, but it was delicious.

“Where did you learn how to cook?” Felix asked between a chunk of potato.

The sat inside the tent tonight. The rain had mostly stop, turning into a small drizzle but the ground was soaked. Felix didn’t fancy getting sick again. He was warm at the moment, why ruin that? He was still wearing Sylvain’s sweatshirt. He hadn’t asked for it back.

“The officers academy. Our professor used to get us to cook with her on our days off.” Sylvain said with a soft smile

“You said you were at Shambhala during the war, what happened?” Felix inquired. He knew Sylvain had dodged this a few times now, but he needed to know. “The history booked all say you died at Gronder Field.”

“I’m aware, Jack brought me some of the accounts. They said I did some pretty horrible things.” Sylvain said, curling in on himself. “That I joined the empire, fought my countrymen… killed Ingrid at Gronder before..” He swallowed heavily.

“Before Felix Hugo Fraldarius cut you down.”

“You say his name weird. Why do you say it like that?”

Felix took another sip of the soup. His mask only showing the bottom of his face.

“So people know which Felix I’m talking about.” _and so that they don’t mistake me for talking in the third person._

“Oh, are their other Felix Fraldarius’?” Sylvain asked, a glint in his eyes.

Felix pushed his empty bowl aside and shifted in the sleeping bag.

“Sure, you’ve even met one.” Felix said offhandedly.

He was playing a dangerous game here. Glenn had told him to keep his face and name a secret. The longer he spent with Sylvain the more he wanted to spill all his secrets. He wanted to remove the mask, he wanted he hear his name instead of Glenn’s, he wanted to spend time listening to Sylvain chat about nothing for hours.

He was sure if Sylvain could utter his name, he’d do pretty much anything for him. If was just the feeling he had in his gut. Maybe Sylvain really was using some sort of charm on him.

Felix didn’t mind.

“Is that so, and how long ago would that have been.” Sylvain framed his face in his hands and gave what Felix had come to call his ‘craft stare’. A small half smile and the raise on an eyebrow.

Felix shrugged, remembering that Sylvain could tell when he lied.

“You’re changing the subject again, you’re good at that.” Felix said, eyes narrowed.

Sylvain sighed, lying back, looking like he did in the cell. Two days ago, is that all it’d been? It didn’t feel like he’d only just met Sylvain.

“I suppose I should prepare you. If we’re going to Shambhala.” Sylvain sat up suddenly. Giving Felix a little scare. “They kidnapped me on the way to Gautier territory. I was stupid. Said I didn’t need an escort-”

“They ambushed me between Fraldarius and Gautier, stole my lance-“ He nodded at the pulsing weapon they’d left outside. “-knocked me out. The next thing I remember is being locked in a cell, in Shambhala. It wasn’t as nice as my Fraldarius accommodation.-“

“They took blood samples, almost daily. Fed me the bare minimum to keep me alive. At first, I thought someone would come for me. A month turned into six, no rescue party. I remember thinking _‘he’ll come, he’ll definitely come for me. Felix and Dimitri will come any day now’_.” He laughed, dark and full of pain.

“Then I saw him. The other ‘me’. They were using my face, using my blood and memories. A perfect double.”

“They cloned you?”

Sylvain shook his head. “We’d seen it before at the academy. The Agarthans’ have the ability to change their appearance using someone else’s blood. The only catch is you have to keep the other person alive. Otherwise it doesn’t work.-“

Felix shivered biting his lip to keep him from shouting out. He couldn’t believe nobody had noticed, why hadn’t anyone come for him? What had Felix Hug Fraldarius been doing?

“A year in I was pretty certain that nobody was coming. The other Sylvain would come down and see me every couple of months, mock me, tell me all the terrible things he’d done in my name. All with a smile on his face. Two years in, told me he’d taken the mantle of Margrave by force- “

Sylvain wouldn’t look at him.

“I was sick of it. I was scared for my friends. Terrified of what they’d do to Felix, Ingrid and the others. So that night, I took my bedclothes and made a noose.”

“Sylvain..” Felix said gently, reaching out, placing a hand on his knee.

“It didn’t take. They found me, cut me down. I lost my rights to a cover on the bed.” Sylvain said. “the next time I tried was with a- what do you call it now- a shank.”

Sylvain spoke like he was detached from the entire situation. Though Felix supposed if something like this had happened to him, he would want to disassociate from it.

“Took me months to sharpen one of the bed posts into something that could actually do damage, especially with them watching me. Took me a little while to work up the nerve too, I still held onto the hope that someone would come-” Sylvain tapped Felix’s hand and gave him as easy going smile.

“Obviously falling on a sharp pole didn’t kill me. They healed me up and decided that I was too an important specimen to be left to my own devices. Constant watch, all the time. Everything was taken out of my cell. I didn’t even have a pot to piss in-” Sylvain laughed morosely

He wiped his hands over his face. “That ‘Sylvain’ would still come down and let me know the ins and outs of the war. Told me the professor had returned, that the war was getting fun now.-“Sylvain shook his head. “I was so happy she was alive, because I thought to myself _‘The professor will certainly know that’s not me’._ Yeah, you know where I’m going with this.”

“The other you was too convincing. Everyone knew that the Gautier heir hated crests, so when you switched sides…”

“Nobody questioned it.”

“Sylvain, I’m so sorry.”

Sylvain shrugged. “Why are you sorry, you weren’t even born. There’s nothing you could have done to help me.”

“Still…There’s more isn’t there.” Felix said. “Do you want to talk about it? We can stop if it’s too much.”

Sylvain gave him a soft fond smile. “Thank you, but it happened so long ago. The trauma of it will always stay with me, but it was so long ago, it feels like it happened to someone else now. I can continue. The next bit may be important tomorrow.”

He withdrew his hand. Felix was starting to feel sick again. The more Sylvain spoke, the more furious he became with the whole situation. His head was pounding.

Sylvain pulled the sleeping bag around his shoulder and flashed his fangs at Felix. It was clear that he was trying to make Felix more comfortable with the situation. Trying to make light of the years of torture.

“So, I’ve covered the couple of times I tried to kill myself and my loss of hope. Right, the professor- she came back, I stayed in my cell. The other me continued to wreak havoc on the battlefield. Then one day he came down and told me all about how he’d killed Ingrid. How he’d shot her out the sky-” Sylvain’s voice choked a little.

“-Told me Felix would be next, that he’d make sure to reference our childhood promise. I completely lost it. I can’t count the times I slammed myself across the bars to get out- kill myself- _something_. I must have banged my head pretty badly, knocked myself out-”

“Next thing I know, I’m tied down to a table. They’ve saying they don’t need me in tip top shape anymore because the double is dead, the lance is lost. That’s when the experiments started. They wanted to see how many crests it was possible to implant in someone-“

“Implanting crests? How is that possible?”

Sylvain reached over taking Felix’s hand and flipping it to show off the veins on this wrist.

“They used blood transfusions at first. It hurt like hell. Burned its way through my system. Turned my skin and hair ashy. It didn’t take, not like with their previous subjects. Thought it might have something to do with me being male. Didn’t stop them from trying again and again and again, until eventually…I started to crave the taste of it.”

Sylvain brought Felix’s wrist further and further to his lips. Felix was frozen, if he wasn’t wearing the mask Sylvain’s eyes would be piercing into his. He let him bring it closer, press against his lips. Felix’s heartbeat accelerated, he didn’t know if he was terrified or if it was in anticipation.

Sylvain laid a gentle kiss on his wrist and dropped it.

“-I gained more strength than they were expecting- because something feral. I pretended I was their loyal dog and waited till they let their guards down-“ he said harshly.

“It took me 80 years to break out, not that I was aware that long had passed. I killed a couple of them when I escaped. First place I tried to go was back to Fraldarius. When I got there, Felix was dead, so was everyone I’d ever known. I was painted in the history books as a villain-“

“I hadn’t bothered cleaning up on my run to Fraldarius, so when I got there, I was still covered in Argathian blood and mud from travelling. Really gave his grandson a fright. He attempted to kill me- it didn’t take- so, he locked me up.”

Felix frowned. “They didn’t listen to what you had to say? Didn’t let you explain yourself?”

“I wasn’t in a chatting mood. I’d just found out all my friends were dead… I also may have bit him.” Sylvain shrugged.

“You fucking bit him?”

“I was hungry and he smelt real good, Glenn.”

Felix shook his head. He didn’t know how a conversation could go from something so dark, to Sylvain making light-hearted jokes again.

“The other day, you said you’d broken a promise with a Fraldarius, so you’d been curse. What did you mean?”

Sylvain shifted, so he was lying down. Motioning for Felix to do the same. He followed, after zipping the tent up. They lay side by side, facing each other, sleeping bags to their chins. Felix thought he would have enjoyed camping as a kid if Sylvain had been there.

“Felix and Glenn rescued me from drowning in a well when I was a kid. Felix was in hysterics when they finally got me out. Made me promise that I wouldn’t die, not without him.”

“You think the way you are now has something to do with that?” Felix sounded incredulous to his own ears.

“The goddess works in mysterious ways...I lost faith in him, tried to kill myself and broke our promise.”

Felix reached out, grabbing Sylvain’s sleeping bag and tugging harshly. “None of that was your fault! Something horrible happened to you that you had no control over.” Felix felt the signs of tears prickling in his eyes, he bit his lip to keep them from dropping. It was better to be angry. “Fuck Felix Hugo Fraldarius, fuck all those Agarthan bastards and fuck all those dick Fraldarius that did shit all.”

Sylvain’s eyes were wide in shock, once Felix words seemed to settle in, he smiled. Reaching out and ruffling Felix’s hair.

“Thanks for getting angry for me, but I could never blame Felix for any of this. I suppose the least I can do is ensure his successors don’t die.”

Felix huffed, “I guess we should get some rest.”

“Yeah, goodnight Glenn.”

“Night”

Felix shuffled down in his sleeping bag. Seething. Tomorrow he would be bringing hell to Shambhala. He was going to burn the place to the ground for what they’d done.

That night, Felix had vague dreams. Of running around his estate with Dimitri, a blonde girl and a redheaded boy that looked like Sylvain and smiled at him like he was the sun.

~*~*~*~*~

Felix woke the next morning feeling refreshed. The whisps of last nights’ dreams disappearing into the ether.

Sylvain’s side of the tent was already pack away. He could smell roasting rabbit and pine needle tea waiting for him outside. He got dressed in fresh clothing. Not knowing what to do with Sylvain’s sweatshirt now he’d slept in it. He ended un shoving it in his backpack. The wet clothes from yesterday were rolled up in a plastic bag.

Felix checked his bag. Made sure he had the first aid kit, rations for a couple of days and a blanket.

They’d be leaving everything else here, travelling light.

When he switched on his phone, he had six missed calls from Annie. Felix sighed and listened to the voicemails she’d left.

_“Hey! Went to your house and you weren’t there, where are you?”_

_“I had a really weird dream last night. I need to speak to you.”_

_“Felix Fraldarius, you better call me back this instant. I know you’re doing something questionable! Glenn’s girlfriend called me, I think you should speak to her”_

Felix didn’t know that Glenn had a girlfriend. That was something he’d kept pretty tight lipped. Annette didn’t seem happy but he didn’t want to involve her in this. No matter how suspicious she seemed to be.

Felix turned his phone off again. The swishing of movement outside enticed Felix. Annie’s weird messaged forgotten as he glanced out and was captivated.

Sylvain was shirtless. Swinging around the lance, going through invisible drills with perfect footwork. There was no need for him to be shirtless, but damn, if Felix didn’t already know he was into men, he’d know now. Sylvain was…goddess, he didn’t want to sound cliché but Sylvain was perfect.

Just the right amount of lean muscle, a defined chest and Felix found he didn’t really mind the sprinkling of chest hair.

Fuck he was staring. He averted his eyes, tried to act natural as he crawled out the tent. He eyed his blade, he hadn’t gotten a chance to actually swing it against an opponent. Maybe Sylvain would indulge him.

“Sylvain! Fight me. I want to see how well I can use this blade.”

Sylvain stopped mid strike, twirling the lance and locking eyes with him.

“Any excuse for a sword fight, eh Glenn.”

Felix started to unwrap the blade, a grin on his face. As soon as it was free from its confines, the sun seemed to find it instantaneously. A bright, blinding beacon.

“You’ve got to be kidding me. Is that a Zoltan blade?”

Felix, did a fancy manoeuvre with it, twisting it, making it dance in his palm. He’d learnt it on youtube.

“I don’t know. Found it in the old training grounds behind a wall.”

Sylvain laughed, eyeing the sword with a mirthful look of disbelief. He got into a fighting stance and beaconed Felix over. Felix stalked over, keeping the blade low and slightly behind him.

Felix was aware that Sylvain had the advantage here. He not only had the reach with his weapon but he was familiar with it too. He knew how to fight, had killed people in the past. Felix had just swung it around in his bedroom or the woods nearby. Had taught himself through youtube videos, historical dramas and anime.

Felix just needed to be faster than Sylvain, strike first and hard and keep close.

As Sylvain went to show off with his Lance one last time, twirling it. Felix took that as his advantage. He sprinted in, quickly closing the distance between them. He saw Sylvain’s eyes widen slightly, before he smirked, meeting Felix’s blade as he went to smash down on his left side.

“oooh nice, seems like you have some skill.”

“Less talking, more hitting.” Felix said, feinting to the left and striking his right.

Sylvain reflected it with a laugh, dancing backwards to get more distance. Felix followed, quick and with more skill than he thought either or them were expecting.

Felix danced ever closer to Sylvain, fending off blows from the lance of ruin. Sylvain was stronger than Felix, but he was faster and somehow more skilled. With every paring blow, Sylvain’s brow furrowed.

Felix spun into the next attack, low and quick, his crest springing up. Sylvain answered his strike with precision, like he knew exactly what move Felix was going to pull. Like he was practiced in the art of fighting him. Every move after that, Sylvain seemed to react simultaneously.

Felix’s brain went blank, his body moving on its own accord. He was just an extension of the sword. Diving and defending and attacking. Felix knew in the back of his mind that he shouldn’t be this good. He shouldn’t be able to hold his own against Sylvain. He shouldn’t know exactly what Sylvain would do before he did it. Shouldn’t know how he’d react to a swing from the right, followed by a low blow.

He shouldn’t know, and yet he did. 

It was unnerving, yet he couldn’t stop this dangerous dance.

He crouched suddenly, ducking under Sylvain’s lance. Spinning around, his back, for a brief second, they were back to back and Felix had a sudden vision of doing this own before. Dressed in a black and gold uniform and telling Sylvain to take this seriously.

He spun, sweeping his foot into Sylvain’s leg. The taller man yelped as he went down on his knees. Felix’s blade at his throat.

“Yield, I yield.” Sylvain laughed.

Felix was breathing hard, his arm straight as he held the point to Sylvain’s throat. His hand steady, his motions sure. Felix released him, flopping onto the floor. Lying down on his back, staring at the morning sky surrounded by trees and wondering idly, why this didn’t look like the training grounds.

“Where the hell did you learn to fight like that?” Sylvain lay down beside him.

Felix shrugged. “I don’t know. It was like instinct.”

“You fight just like him…” Sylvain whispered so quietly Felix wasn’t sure if he was supposed to hear. “You must be pretty warm in that mask. Wouldn’t it be easier to breath with it off?”

Felix pushed up and got to his feet, stretching.

“I’m keeping the mask on, Sylvain.” He walked over to the fire, making himself a pine tea.

Sylvain was over in an instance, staring hard at him. Like he could will the mask to fall off.

“I don’t understand the point in wearing it, you know I won’t hurt you or charm you or whatever.”

Felix couldn’t really give him an answer either, only that Glenn had said not to and until they found him. He’d be following that order. There was also another reason.

“I feel like Jack should show you his fact first. You’ve been friends for years. Shouldn’t he be the first Fraldarius face you see in 1000 years.”

“I guess you have a point.” Sylvain pouted.

“Cool, well, put on a shirt. We’re leaving in twenty minutes.”

~*~*~*~*

Felix was fending off the migraine of the century as they trekked the short distance between the campsite and the rocky shore that Sylvain was sure would lead them to Shambhala.

Sylvain had been quiet as they walked the last couple of miles. A heavy tension had settled over them. They would be going into battle soon, just the two of them against goddess knows how many. Felix just had one aim, save Glenn and Dimitri. If he could find them safe, get them home, that’s all he asked for.

Even if that meant giving his own life. But as ready as he was to give his own, he didn’t want to be the reason that Sylvain died. He wanted him to have a life outside the cell. From the time he’d spent with Sylvain, he knew the older man deserved that.

The tragedy he’d had to bare on his own, broke Felix’s heart. He wished deeply that he’d been able to do something for him sooner. Instead of bringing him along on, what was now turning into a suicide mission.

He at least wanted to give Sylvain some hope.

“What’s the first thing you want to do when we get back? I’m thinking about having a very hot, long bath.” Felix said, trying to lighten the mood.

“You think we will, get back that is?”

“Of course, I don’t have any plans to die today. The four of us are getting home, even if I have to fight the Goddess herself.”

Sylvain smiled, swinging an arm around Felix’s shoulder.

“I was thinking we could go out on the town, get a couple of ales, chat up some ladies.”

_Ah_ , Felix thought. _He’s straight._ Felix hadn’t even given it any thought as to whether Sylvain preferred men or women. Felix just assumed with all the flirting and glances, that Sylvain was into men. Or maybe both.

It was just Felix’s luck.

_I don’t like him, he’d just stupidly attractive._ Felix tried to convince himself.

“I’ll get a drink, sure, but I’m not chatting up any women.” Felix sighed.

“what? But, Glenn, chatting up girls is the best bit of going out on the town!”

“Better leave me out of it then. Jack might go with you, though _apparently_ he has a girlfriend.”

“aww, but I want to go with you, Glenn.” Sylvain complained.

Felix sighed. He’d lost friends over a lot less than telling them his sexual preference, he’d let them walk out of his life, ‘cause who needed shitty friends that can’t accept you for who you are? But he didn’t want to see that same look from Sylvain. The look of ‘ew, I shared a tent with you’.

“I prefer men, so I’ll get a drink with you, whatever, just don’t expect me to be your wingman.”

He made sure not to look at Sylvain, not wanting to see his reaction. The look of surprise or awkwardness. Sylvain had gone quiet. Never a good sign.

“That’s…allowed?”

_Oh, here we go_

“I mean, you can go on dates with men and women? It doesn’t matter and you can just…tell people.” Sylvain sounded off. He didn’t sound disgusted. He sounded in awe.

Felix glanced over. Sylvain’s eyes were wide and brimmed with tears. He quickly wiped them clear.

“Sorry, It’s just, that’s amazing. If I told my father I wanted to date a man, I would have been disinherited or forced to marry a woman as soon as physically possible.”

“Oh, er, I mean there still prejudice, sure. But men came marry each other now.”

“Really?! You mean, like, we could get married if we wanted.” He pointed between the two of them.

Felix snorted a laugh out. “Well, sure, but at least buy me dinner first.”

Sylvain’s eyes widened. “I, ugh, haha, I mean I have caught and cooked multiple rabbits for you.”

Felix shook his head.

“Well, okay, when we get back, I’ll take you out for that ale.” Sylavin said, skipping in front of him and walking backwards so he could face Felix. 

“Like a date?” Felix said incredulously.

Sylvain nodded. “Yeah, You, Me and a nice cold ale with a roaring fire. What do you say?”

“Sure, but you still have to take me, even if I’m horribly disfigured under this mask.” Felix held out his hand to shake.

Sylvain clasped it with a laugh that reached his eyes, lighting up his face. “I’ll take you up on that offer.” They shook hands. “so, about that bath, room for one more.” Sylvain wagged his eyebrows.

“Don’t push your luck, Gautier.”

~*~*~*~*~*

The beach stretched before that, white sands and clear blue seas. Felix couldn’t see the island that Sylvain reassured him was there. It was only know that Felix had started to realise that they had no way across or any way to bring Glenn and Dimitri back. None of them could use a warp spell and he’d left the jeep, miles and miles away at the start of their journey.

“How did you get off the island?”

“I swam.”

“Of course you did.” Felix groaned.

He glanced down the beach. It was completely empty, save for a little shack. On closer inspection, Felix could see a small pier and tied to that, a small fishing boat. Felix couldn’t believe his luck. The goddess was on his side.

“There, look.” Felix pointed, trotting in that direction.

The closer they got, Felix became aware of a figure on the pier. They’d not seen anyone in the last two days, it seemed weird to see someone now. But here they were, siting on the pier, their feet almost in the water. Their backs were to them, but Felix could tell it was a man.

Slender shoulder’s and hair tied up in a half do, his hair was a strange shade of green. As they approached, the man seemed to hear them but didn’t turn. Felix noticed a fishing rod in his hand.

“You wait here, I don’t want you flashing fangs at him for a joke and causing a scene.”

“I would never” Sylvain said hand on his chest in mock affront. He stayed put at Felix wondered up.

“Hello, Good Morning, is that your boat?” Felix asked, sounding awkward.

The man turned, a bored lazy expression on his face. His skin was pale and he had some of the deepest blue eyes Felix had ever seen. He glanced over Felix’s outfit settling on his face with a frown.

“Is that the Fraldarius crest?” He replied.

Felix was a little shocked. Not many people could identify crests these days, it wasn’t exactly taught in schools.

“Yeah, it is.” Felix said, shifting from one foot to the other. “The boat?”

“Oh yes, it’s mine. Or well…” He yawned, “My wife’s.”

He looked around Felix’s shoulder, Felix moved so that he was slightly blocking Sylvain from view.

“can I borrow it for a day or two? If I don’t bring it back, you can claim another from my estate.” Felix said.

The green haired man was no longer paying any attention to Felix. He was looking past him. Felix followed his eyes, locked onto Sylvain. Felix didn’t think a lot of it. Sylvain was just standing there, looking like a slightly overdressed hiker. The green haired man however seemed to see something different. He leapt to his feet quickly.

“You” he said to Sylvain, pointing. “Where did you get that face?”

That was one of the weirder questions Felix had heard. Not ‘who are you?’ or ‘you look familiar’ but ‘where did you get that face?’. Felix had a bad feeling about this.

“err, I was born with it?” Sylvain said, calling over from the distance.

The man narrowed his eyes.

The door to the shack creaked. “Linhardt, who are you talking to?”

Out stepped a woman, her hair also green. Though the two didn’t look related. His wife?

“Oh, good morning, are you perhaps looking to fish too?” she said, all smiles.

Felix felt a little on edge.

“Cethleann dear.” Linhardt said, point to Sylvain.

Cethleann followed her husband’s finger and jumped in shock. He hand to her heart. She quickly moved to Linhardt side, raising a hand at Felix in a familiar pose.

She was about to cast.

“You, beast, don’t think I will be falling for the same trick twice.” She shouted at Sylvain.

How the hell did they know that Sylvain was a vampire? Felix moved to block Sylvain, drawing Cethleann’s attention.

“Look, we don’t want to cause a scene, we just want to borrow your boat.”

Her hand was still raised, a yellow glow. A high level spell. She aimed at Felix, determination on her face. He heard Sylvain shout from behind, before he was tackled to the floor. The spell fizzled over his head, striking the beach.

Sylvain’s body covered his, protecting his head.

“Whoever you think he is, you’re mistaken.” Felix shouted, trying to defuse the situation. “He’s been under Fraldarius watch for years.”

“Fraldarius?” The woman uttered. “As in Felix Fraldarius?”

Felix pushed Sylvain off him, Sylvain got up first, helping him to his feet. Brushing off sand. Felix didn’t know how this woman know his name, as he sure as hell didn’t know her.

“Holy Hell” Sylvain whispered, “Where did I get my face, where did you get yours?!” He shouted, getting in between Felix and the green haired couple. He was growling low in his throat, posed to strike.

Cethleann grabbed her husband’s hand, aiming once more.

“it is the face I was born with.” She repeated back Sylvain’s earlier come back. “Do not think you can play this game once more, Sylvain Gautier is dead, I know it, I was there when your people first used his face.”

She readied a second attack. “I will not miss a second time.”

Sylvain relaxed his pose slightly, still protecting Felix.

Felix positioned himself in front of Sylvain, shoving him back. “Please, just listen to me. I know he looks shifty but you have my word, he isn’t a monster.”

“And what do we know of you, wearing that mask.”

It didn’t look like they were going to get anywhere, a Mexican standoff. Till Linhardt put a hand on his wife’s shoulder.

“I can solve all this, if you’d like to give me a blood sample.” He said with a smile.

They four of them were silent. Staring at one another, till Sylvain broke.

“Give you a sample, are you insane?” Sylvain waved about his lance.

Cethleann’s eyes followed it narrow.

Linhardt raised a hand to his jaw, pondering. “hmm, well if you don’t want to give a sample, how about a show of crests.” He said, removing a small device from his pocket, waving it over his wrist and showing off a minor crest of Cethleann.

Felix heard Sylvain’s sharp intake of breath as the young woman took the device, copying her husband to show a major crest of Cethleann.

Felix frowned, he felt like he’d been given a weird riddle. A husband and wife have the same crest, one is minor, one is major, how are they _not_ related?

Linhardt took it back, walking forwards to breach the gap between them. Cethleann was frozen rigged as she watched. He was a touch taller than Felix, looked to be in his late 20’s, maybe early 30’s. He passed the crest analyser to Felix, getting a good look at Sylvain as he did, before stepping back to his wife’s side.

Felix simply passed it back. Crossing his arms.

“Do you not have a crest?” Linhardt asked

Out the corner of his eye, he saw the Gautier crest flare up.

Cethleann covered her mouth, letting out a gasp of disbelief and happiness.

“You have the crest of Gautier. Sylvain, is that truly you?” She took a step forwards, Linhardt taking her shoulder to bring her back.

“The masked Fraldarius hasn’t done the test yet, dear.”

Felix clicked his tongue. Holding his wrist out to Sylvain. He kept his eyes on the couple as his crest manifested. Cethleann’s eyes widened, whereas her Husband’s stayed tranquil and calculating. She seemed to be an open book, Felix may be able to use that to his advantage.

“This is most unprecedented! How is this possible? How are you both here?”

Felix did not have a clue what she was talking about. To be quite honest, he was lost. It seemed Sylvain recognised the two of them and vice versa. How was that even possible? Unless these two were a great deal older than they seemed. What had the woman said, something about being there when Sylvain’s face was first used?

Sylvain put a hand on Felix’s shoulder. “This is Glenn, he’s a descendent of the Fraldarius bloodline. He’s kind of frosty, but you get used to him.”

“oh, I see.” Cethleann said sadly. “Sorry, I just assumed. Seeing as you are here, Sylvain, that the flow of time had converged once more.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Felix said gruffly, shaking of Sylvain’s hand.

Linhardt smiled. “She’s talking about reincarnation. It’s a theory I’m working on.” His words were slow and precise, he reminded Felix of a cat, much too calculating and slightly untrustworthy.

“No, no flow of time stuff. I’m the same Sylvain. Is that possible, reincarnation? Are you two…reincarnated?” Sylvain asked, his tone more hopeful that Felix had heard before.

Cethleann grimaced. “No, I am afraid not.”

“He called you Cethleann…he didn’t mean, Saint Cethleann, did he? I mean, Claude and I always suspected something was up with you and Seteth.”

She turned to Linhardt with a glare. “I suppose there is no point in hiding it anymore, yes, I am that Cethleann.”

A feeling of frustration and inadequacy washed over Felix. He was seemingly standing in front of three immortals. His black and white world had been thrown into shades of grey and he wasn’t quite sure how he felt about that. A couple of days ago, he knew where he stood. Now he was looking down into a vast hole that kept getting deeper and deeper.

He felt like Alice, falling down the rabbit hole, but instead of a world of wonder waiting for him, it was death, destruction, and pain.

All he wanted was to know Glenn and Dimitri were alright.

“Look, I get this is a big weird reunion, but were on a mission. Can I use your boat or what?” Felix asked.

Cethleann laughed behind her hand. “Oh, he sounds just like him. The prickly attitude must run in the family.” She levelled Felix with a stare. “What kind of mission would you need a boat for?”

“Glenn’s brother and his friend were kidnapped a month back. We tracked them to this beach. I suspect they’re in Shambhala. The motive adds up with Agarthian interference.” Sylvain explained.

Cethleann shuddered. “That is not possible, they were wiped out after the great war.”

“You mean the war of unification?” Felix asked.

“No, the war the Saints fought in. There were just stranglers left after. Byleth tracked down the last of them. They are all gone.”

Sylvain snorted.

“They hid themselves pretty well, they definitely aren’t gone. Two miles from here is an island, it’s their base.”

“How do you know that?” Linhardt asked.

Felix put his hand on Sylvain’s arm, trying to tell him through touch that he didn’t have to answer them.

“I escaped from there, 80 years after I was taken-“ He shrugged, like it wasn’t a big deal. Like he hadn’t been tortured for 80 years whilst everyone continued to live their lives. “They experimented on me, I can’t age or die…guess I get to keep my good looks forever.”

Felix didn’t need to look at Sylvain to know he was giving them a fake grin. At least the married couple had the decency to look ashamed.

“I cannot apologise enough, we thought you had perished. If we had known-“

“It’s fine.” Sylvain interrupted. “No use crying over spilt milk.”

Felix elbowed Sylvain. “Let them apologise, it’s the least they can do.” Felix said roughly, glaring beneath his mask.

Sylvain laughed, placing a hand on Felix’s head to ruffle his hair. “Like I said, frosty.”

“You truly believe your brother has been taken by them?”

Felix slapped Sylvain’s hand away. “That’s right. We tracked them from their camp site. They used multiple warp spells to hide their travel from the police. They also made the campsite look like an animal attack.”

“Does your brother or his friend have a crest?” Linhardt asked.

“They both do. Er, Jack, has a minor crest of Fraldarius and his friend has the minor crest of Blaiddyd.”

“Did you say Blaiddyd? As in the royal family?” Sylvain asked. “You didn’t mention anything about that.” He sounded accusatory. 

“I didn’t think it was important. Like I said the other day, we haven’t received a ransom, so I assumed they didn’t know who they’d taken.”

“That’s worrying-“ Linhardt said, frowning. “where is the Blaiddyd boy in the line of succession?”

Felix’s mind reeled. “He’s Crown Prince.”

“and you brother?”

“He’ll be Duke after my father. You don’t think-“

“It’s possible their aim is to replace your Brother and the Blaiddyd heir with body doubles, much like they did with Sylvain during the war.”

Felix felt like cold water had been dumped on him, the icy coldness thrumming through his veins and bringing terror and clarity with it as it washed over him and cleansed him of his naivety.

“If they replace both of them, they’ll have what they need to run the country.” Sylvain said

Linhardt nodded. “That is a possibility, to continue what they failed 1000 years ago.”

“The Royal Family hardly has anything to do with the running of Fodlan. It’s the government and church calling the shots.”

“During the war of unification, the Empire waged war on the church. We received a letter from Hubert after his death, that someone had been pulling the strings. Those that slither in the dark, he’s called them.” Linhardt pondered. “Their aim was to eradicate the church, along with those with Nabatean blood, the children of the goddess.”

“Nabatean?” Felix was confused.

He knew the Empire had attacked the Kingdom, _everyone_ knew that. Nabateans, Agarthans, Those that slither in the dark? This was a side of history that Felix didn’t have a clue about. He’d spent most his time in the library as a child, fascinated by Felix Hugo Fraldarius’ accounts of the war. But there was nothing about this.

He glanced at Sylvain, who was listening intently.

There was also nothing about Sylvain either, just that Felix had buried him with his weapon. Though if Cethleann knew Sylvain’s face had been overtaken, wouldn’t that mean Felix had too?

Ugh, his head was hurting. This was information overload.

Cethleann, moved a curl behind her ear. Her pointed, elf like ears.

_What the fuck_?

“ It is what I am, those of the Nabatean race were direct descendants of Sothis. We age much slower than humans do.”

“Also, if you were wondering, that’s where crests originated. Cethleann bestowed her blood to one of my ancestors and that’s why we share a crest.” Linhardt smiled. “They also had the ability to change forms into what we know of dragons, though Cethlean has long since lost that ability.”

Felix put his hands up. “Can we just, stop. This is way too much to process all at once.”

Sylvain’s hand on his arm was the only thing that seemed to be keeping him grounded. His heart was beating fast, he was having that feeling again. Like he was on the tip of discovering something. His hands felt clammy and shaky. His breath was coming in little short pants. His vison was starting to dot at the sides, little bursts of light, during dark when he blinked.

Oh goddess, was he about to pass out?

No way, he wasn’t that weak.

Hit legs seemed to have other idea’s though.

“Glenn, you okay?”

Sylvain’s voice was muffled, as if his head was under water.

His head pounded, his vison blanking as he started to pitch forwards. He was aware of Sylvain catching him, lowering him to the ground.

Sylvain was talking. He could see him leaning over him, but he couldn’t answer back.

The waters pulled him deeper in.

Deeper down the rabbit hole.

~*~*~*~*~*

Felix found himself standing in a darkened room. It was vast, larger than any room he’d ever been in. So large in fact that he couldn’t see any walls. Felix could only see the space around him, any further out and the room turned to mist. It was as if someone had drawn him in the room and hadn’t gotten around to painting the backdrop.

He didn’t feel cold or warm. He didn’t feel much of anything. There was just one thing he was certain of.

He wasn’t wearing his mask.

Felix patted his face as of he could be mistaken.

“What do we have here?” A light female voice asked. It sounded like a child, tinkling and sweet but with a haughty edge.

Felix spun, only now noticing a large stone throne. The only thing inside this room. He didn’t know how he’d missed it before, but here it was.

A girl sat upon in, her legs thrown over one arm. Her hair was the same shade as Cethleann’s. Her ears-her ears were also pointed.

“How did you get in here?” She said standing, glaring down at Felix before her expression turned to one of surprise. “Oh, you look familiar.”

Felix took a step backwards. “How did I get here? How did you take off my mask?”

The girl frowned. “I haven’t taken any mask from you, how rude of you to accuse me.”

She took a step down the stairs towards Felix, hands on her hips.

“Where is this place? What happened to Sylvain and the other two?”

The girl folded her arms. “Sylvain? Ah, yes, the Gautier boy. I remember him. Well, it seems like you’re all starting to wake up.” She huffed. “I told Byleth this would be difficult, but did she listen to me, no!” She walked back up to her throne sitting. “Now you’re all waking up and coming to me for answers I do not have.”

“Waking up? Byleth? I-who are you?”

“I am called Sothis, but I am also called the beginning. Byleth is my current vessel, it seems you don’t remember much of her.”

Felix choked on his spit. “I’m sorry, did you just call yourself Sothis? Like the goddess?” Felix closed his eyes and shook his head. “I’m going mad.”

“is it so hard to believe in a world of crests and magic that the Goddess cannot call you into her domain. Though you have arrived completely unannounced. It vexes that Byleth isn’t here.” Sothis bit her thumb. “To be quite honest, I’m worried. She hasn’t answered me in a month now and I’m unable to appear before her.”

A month? There was no way that was a coincidence.

“You look as if you want to say something, well, out with it.”

“My brother went missing about a month ago, along with his friend. We suspect they’re at Shambhala. Agarthians have kidnapped them?”

“Tell me everything.” She demanded.

Felix started to recount everything. Compelled to tell his small childlike goddess everything that had happened since Glenn had disappeared. He told her about Sylvain, the vampire living in the tomb of his dead ancestors. He went through their camping trip, the warp spells that lead them to Gronder forest. He informed her of their meeting with Linhardt and his Nabatean wife. He told her everything that Sylvain had told him about his captivity.

When he was done, he felt like a balloon that had been slowly deflated.

Felix was certainly taking this in stride, he wasn’t having a mental breakdown, so that was good. There was one thing he had noticed. His head didn’t hurt here. It felt like he could breath. He hadn’t noticed the overwhelming pressure on his chest this whole time, till it was gone. Now he felt freed from whatever it was.

“You’re sure?” Sothis asked.

Felix nodded in answer.

She slammed her tiny fist down on her throne. The resounding smash was akin to an earthquake. Felix instinctively put his hands to his ears, cringing.

“I can’t believe this!” Sothis threw herself back in her seat, crossing her arms. “Undoubtedly that’s where Byleth has gone too. To help the little prince. It is most worrying that she hasn’t returned or tried to contact me.”

Sothis leaned forwards, levelling Felix with a stare.

“Has your head been hurting you recently?”

“Yeah, like a pounding I can’t get rid of.”

“Has the Fraldarius line and the Blaiddyd line converged at any point?” she asked.

“Well, yeah, I think a couple of times. My great--grandmother was probably the most recent.”

She hummed to herself. “This is been happing for about a month?” Felix nodded yes. “Hmm, I’ve been trying to contact Byleth by perhaps our wires got crossed instead. It would explain why you’re here now.”

She smiled at Felix. He felt uneasy

“I have a task for you Felix Fraldarius, descendent of mine. Find that idiot girl of mine, find her prince, your brother and bring justice to those that would destroy our bloodline.”

Sothis was standing, walking towards him down the steps till she was face to face with him. Or at least, she would be if she wasn’t so short.

“I don’t understand.”

“You will in time. To do this task, I’ll allow you to use some of my power. You should have the capacity for it. All I need to do is awaken your blood.”

She reached out, placing a hand over his heart. A warmth spread throughout, his blood felt warmer than usual but not unpleasant. A light expanded in the room, encasing them both in a warm glow.

“Now go, I do believe they’re calling for you.”

The edges of Felix’s vison started to go white as Sothis stepped away.

“To think the flow of time would be coming full circle again, that girl is such a handful”

Felix reached out to try to ask for more direction because she’d literally told him nothing. His voice didn’t come out and the next thing he was aware of was sand under his fingertips.

~*~*~*~*~*

“He’s waking up- hey Glenn, buddy, you with me?” Sylvain asked. “We can’t take off your mask, so tell me when you can open your eyes or squeeze my hand.” Sylvain was talking gently to him.

His fingers could feel the cool grains of sand, they must have moved him into the shade. Sylvain was holding his left hand, his other seemed to be in his hair.

He opened his eyes, getting a full view of three people staring down at him. Linhardt and Cethleann were both leant over him, checking his condition. Cethleann’s hands were glowing a tranquil blue, a vast difference from the death rays she’s been using earlier.

Felix groaned and tried to push himself up. Sylvain helped him sit, gentle hands on his back.

“How are you feeling, Glenn?” Cethlean asked.

Felix thought out that, a frown ever present on his face, he wondered it Sylvain would be surprised how much he frowned, probably not. Felix felt okay, to be honest, he felt a lot better. His head was no longer hurting, his chest didn’t feel like Dimitri was sitting on it. Had that all been the Goddess trying to get in touch with her vessel and accidentally getting Felix’s signal instead?

“I actually feel great.” Felix said, flexing his arms.

He felt stronger somehow, like he’d levelled up in a game and changed classes or something. He could feel the magic he possessed under his skin, thriving and alive. He somehow knew faith magic, which he hadn’t been well versed in before he passed out. He could feel the knowledge swimming around.

“You passed out. Here, you should drink some water. Maybe take the mask off.” Linhardt said, passing him a bottle of icy water.

Felix took it gratefully, downing the contents in three big gulps. The frosty goodness made his teeth ache, but goddess did it taste good.

“What happened? Did you feel dizzy or hot?” Linhardt asked.

“Dizzy, I guess. I’ve been having a spitting headache on and off for a month now. It’s, err, gone now.” Felix said.

“A headache, hmmm, have you spoken to a doctor about this? I wouldn’t want it to be anything more serious.” Linhardt said, checking his pulse.

“Serious how?” Sylvain asked, his voice tense.

“A possible brain aneurysm or a tumour. I’m a field medic, not a brain surgeon, Sylvain.” Linhardt said. It sounded snarky but Felix was pretty sure that’s just the way he spoke.

Sylvain stared at him, his expression turning from concern to acceptance, then carefully going blank. It was like Sylvain had already come to terms with his theoretical death. Skipped the grief stage and gone straight to acceptance. Felix hated that.

“I’m not going to fucking die, so stop giving me that look.”

Sylvain’s mask didn’t change, but for the sight raise of an eyebrow. Like he was surprised Felix had caught him.

Felix sighed.

“I don’t think I’ll be getting an more headaches.” Felix felt his cheeks heating under the mask. “Apparently Sothis was trying to get in touch with a Byleth? And accidentally summoned me.”

Felix realised how stupid and insane that sounded. His three companions had gone deathly silent. Then all Hell broke lose.

“The Goddess, that Sothis?!”

“Trying to get in touch with Byleth, why is Byleth not replying?”

“Why do all the interesting things happen to everyone else, I want to meet the goddess.”

Felix put up his hand to stop their incessant babbling.

“She hasn’t been able to get in touch with her for a month, she thinks that Byleth may have gone to Shambhala to rescue ‘her prince’ and my brother.-“ Felix explained. “Serios fuck, I sound insane.”

“ _Her_ prince?” Sylvain asked

“Byleth was married to His Majesty after the war, this other Blaiddyd, although distant is still a relative. She may feel responsible.”

Sylvain laughed. “I knew he was hot for teacher!”

Felix’s face screwed up in confusion. “Where the fuck did you learn that term?”

Sylvain had been living in cell for a 1000 years, surely hot for teacher wasn’t around then.

Sylvain pulled a little sleek device from his pocket. “Jack bought me a phone. I especially like the instagram.”

“It’s insta- you know what, I’m not getting into that.” Felix sighed, because of course Glenn bought Sylvain a both and of course Sylvain probably text like a middle-aged housewife.

“What else did she say? Did she seem well?” Cethleann asked.

“She gave me a new task, thankfully it’s pretty much the same as the last. Save Jack and party, then kill everyone in Shambhala.”

“ugh, battle.”

~*~*~*~*

Cethleann, who for some reason was also called Flaynn. Not even a nickname that was abbreviated, but sure. Cethleann and Linhardt wouldn’t be coming with them. They had a young daughter they couldn’t leave. Felix understood. He wasn’t really too eager to bring a couple of strangers into this. He kind of enjoyed the dynamic that he had with Sylvain anyway.

What they had done is upgraded the boat.

Cethleann had whistled loudly and _shrilly_ into the sky, a couple of minutes later two huge birds flew out of the trees. As they got closer, Felix realised that they weren’t birds and in fact were Wyverns.

Two great big snappy beasts. Felix had ridden a horse in the past. He’d never flow. Pegasus and Wyverns were more of less extinct! He had no idea where these two had magically appeared from but he didn’t want to touch one, let alone ride one!

Sylvain had been all over them the second they’d landed, cooing and calming them. They had reared up at first, tried to snap at him. Felix was pretty sure they could smell that something wasn’t quite right with Sylvain. He’d got them to submit to him pretty quickly after that, stroking them with a blissed out expression of a child. Total wonder and awe.

“This sure beats rowing, hey Glenn.” Sylvain said, patting the dark red Wyvern, who was unoriginally named Ruby.

Felix stared at the ‘his’ wyvern. It stared right back. Clearly not impressed with him either. It was a dark green monstrosity, called ‘Emerald’. It was a lot bigger up close than Felix was expecting. Almost three times his height. It’s teeth were the size of his fist. He couldn’t understand how Sylvain was pretty the thing like it was a cute Labrador instead of a fucking dragon.

“I’d rather swim.” Felix said. His wyvern snorted. Suspiciously sounding like it was laughing at him.

“Come on, Glenn. A mission from the goddess, riding wyverns across the sky weapons in hand. Aren’t you at least a little excited?”

Felix was a little excited, but he didn’t want to admit that. Going into battle felt natural, like he’d done it a hundred times before. It wasn’t like he was eager to kill people. He just wanted the excitement of clashing blades with someone. Just like he had with Sylvain this morning.

“I’ve never rode a wyvern before.” Felix said instead.

Sylvain’s face lit up. “Oh, are you scared?” He taunted.

Felix huffed. “They’re huge, of course I’m scared, idiot.”

“Here’s give me your hand.” Sylvain said, taking it before he’d even finished talking.

“What are you doing?” Felix freaked out slightly as Sylvain edged his hand up closer to the winged beast.

“They’re just like horse, but even more intelligent. Just be kind and gentle and she’ll understand what you need.” Sylvain said sagely.

He inched forwards. The wyvern narrowed it’s eyes at Felix. His heart was beating a mile a minute. He was certain both Sylvain and the wyvern were aware.

“This is Glenn, he’s never rode a wyvern before, you’ll need to guide him” Sylvain spoke to Emerald.

Strangely, it seemed to understand. It huffed again, blowing hot air into Felix’s face. For a horrible second Felix thought it might breath fire on him. Instead, she slowly lowered her head. Allowing Sylvain to move his hand, placing it down on top of the scales. Sylvain’s large hand covered his, holding it in place for the first couple of seconds.

Felix couldn’t stop the slight heating of his cheeks, Sylvain’s back was against his, leaning in so close he could feel his breath on the back of his neck. His hand was covered by Sylvain’s own, he could feel the slight calluses on them, hardened skin from years of fighting.

If kind of felt like the pottery scene from ghost.

The wyvern dipped it’s head, attempting to get Felix attention back. Sylvain stepped away and Felix was left petting a big ass lizard. Her skin was different that he was expecting. He thought he’d feel rough, hard scales but she was almost soft.

Her skin felt a little like a snake’s, soft and smooth. She made a happy huff as Felix scratched a particular point between her eyebrows.

He turned to grin at Sylvain, realising a touch late that Sylvain couldn’t see his facial expression still.

“She’s soft, it feels really nice.” He said.

The wyvern responded to his praise, giving out what Felix could only describe as a mix between a growl and a purr. He was pretty sure she was happy with his assessment.

“They really are. Wait till you’re riding one. It’s nothing like riding a horse.” Sylvain grinned. “It’s exhilarating.”

Felix hadn’t noticed Linhardt approaching before Emerald had pulled out his grasp to but heads with the healer. Linhardt patted her neck, receiving a wet lick to the face in response. He looked thoroughly unamused as he wiped his face clean.

“I really wish she’d stop doing that.” He huffed, but sound like he quite liked the attention. “Take care of her and she’ll take care of you, Glenn.” He turned to Sylvain. “Can I have a word with you, Sylvain. In private”

It wasn’t a question. It was more like a demand. Felix looked at Sylvain in time to see him frown before the fake smile slipped back into place. He wasn’t sure Linhardt had noticed.

They walked a little ways away. Felix tried his best not to eavesdrop. He really did.

But the temptation was too great.

It was less eavesdropping and more lip reading. Felix turned himself, so he could still convincingly pet Emerald and at the same time read the conversation between Linhardt and Sylvain.

It was something he’d taught himself to do at parties with his father. People were happy to talk about you behind your back, even if you were in the same room. They were also happy to discuss sensitive information in a room full of strangers, if they believed the music was loud enough. Felix had quite enjoyed joining conversations mid stride as a teen. Thoroughly confusing or embarrassing officials that thought it was okay to bad mouth the kingdom.

It was even easier to read lips when people couldn’t see his face.

Felix carefully watched them, trying not to draw attention.

‘-are you feeding from him?’

Sylvain’s eyebrows shot up. ‘no, we don’t have that kind of relationship.’

Linhardt narrowed his eyes. ‘It isn’t healthy, you’re treating him like-‘

‘I don’t need a lecture, Linhardt.’

‘He wouldn’t be happy with you’

Sylvain suddenly looked furious. Like he had back in the forest, when he’d punched a hole through a tree. Felix was a little concerned for Linhardt but didn’t make any move to intervene.

‘How would you know? He was my friend.’

Linhardt shrugged. ‘we spent a long time with him’

It was like a punch in the gut to Sylvain. He physically recoiled. Felix felt his heart skip a beat for him.

‘I’ll make sure nothing happens to Glenn, thanks so much for your concern’

Sylvain turned on his heal and marched back over to Felix. All smiles, but his eyes were concealing poorly hidden agony. 

Felix wanted to ask, but found the words trapped in his throat.

“Ready to go.” Sylvain asked, voice chipper.

Felix nodded, not trusting his voice. Sylvain helped him mount Emerald.

Linhardt and Cethleann waved them off. Linhardt looked concerned, he saw him lean down and whisper into his wife’s ear.

Felix was glad for the riding gear that was strapped to the wyvern. He told on tight to the reins, clenching his thighs as he felt Emerald shift beneath him. She went low, pushing off with her powerful legs, flapping hard. Felix’s stomach flipped as she launched into the air, like going over a hill in a car.

Felix tried not to yelp, closing his eyes as he felt the air shift around him. He felt them rising, higher and higher and higher. The air getting colder the further up. Felix cracked an eyelid open.

Gasping, Felix’s eyes sprung open.

His heart exploded into life. He thought he’d be terrified, having never travelled in such away. It was the complete opposite. Felix was in awe.

They were flying amongst the clouds. The air, washing over his face, flinging back his hair and whipping it in all directions. The chill was all but forgotten. Felix glanced down and behind him, the beach was just below, getting further and further away till all he could see was waves.

The two figures stood on the beach watching them go.

Sylvain’s wyvern led the way, the rider looking straight ahead. Felix could see that he was holding the reins with one hand, the other gripping the lance of ruin. His posture was perfect, Felix could see that he was experienced in flying. On the other hand, Felix was trying to make his body as small as possible, knees gripping the saddle and elbows tucked in. He was glad his sword was tied to his bag, because he didn’t think he could do this one handed.

Felix was alone with his thought up here. Sylvain too far ahead and the wind too noisy to have a conversation.

Felix thought back on the conversation he’d witnessed. It was obvious they were talking about him, they’d used his fake name after all. Felix guessed from the phrasing and although his name wasn’t stated directly that they were also talking about Felix Hugo Fraldarius.

Having a father who was a history buff and being named after his ancestor, Felix had always been compared to Felix Hugo Fraldarius. From his dislike of sweets to his insistence of claiming the Hero Duke’s bedroom as his own, at the age of six. Felix’s father had fondly patted his head, telling him he resembled his ancestor.

Felix hated it.

He was him, no one else.

He didn’t like the connotation that Sylvain had been treating him like his ancestor. That Sylvain wasn’t seeing him for who he was and had been pretending he’d been journeying with his long dead friend.

Not that he could really blame him for it.

They were friends of convenience. Felix needed Sylvain’s help to find Glenn, and if Sylvain needed to pretend he was Felix Hugo Fraldarius to do that, he’d happily take advantage of it.

Even if it made his heart scream out at him.

An island started to come into view, they began their decent.

~*~*~*~*

They hid the wyverns in the bushes, the two beasts seemed to blend in easily. Emerald nudged Felix, as if trying to inspire him. Felix patted her neck once more before ducking out of the foliage. Sylvain was waiting for him.

“Better unwrap your blade now. You don’t want to be caught unawares.”

Felix nodded, doing just that.

Sylvain looked nervous, uncomfortable. It was to be expected, who in their right minds would come back to the place they’d be confined to for years.

“You okay?”

Sylvain smiled at him weakly, “Never better. Let’s got, there’s an entrance just around beyond these trees.”

Felix looked around; all he could see was the forest. An entrance to where? He was suddenly very aware that he hadn’t asked Sylvain for more information on this place, instead trying to save his feeling. That had probably been a mistake.

“The base is underground.” Sylvain explained.

They walked for a couple of minutes. Felix followed closely behind the redhead. Sylvain was treading carefully, avoiding twigs and rustling pants. Felix attempted to do the same, but he wasn’t as light-footed as his companion.

Sylvain brought them to the entrance of a cave, pulling back weeds and leaves to reveal a hidden door. Felix felt a shiver pass over him.

“This is the place, stay close to me okay. Wouldn’t want you getting lost.”

Felix groaned. “Thanks for jinxing us.”

Sylvain shrugged, pushing the door.

“Wait.” Felix said, hand on Sylvain’s arm. “Before we go in, I want you to promise me something.”

Sylvain made a face. “You know I don’t make promises with Fraldarius’”

“Fine, a request then.”

Sylvain nodded.

“If we do get split up and you find them first…leave me behind.”

Sylvain shook his head. “No way. There’s no way you can ask me to do that. If we leave, we’re all leaving together. I won’t leave you in this place.”

“Look, they’re probably injured and weak after being here for so long. Taken them back to the island, heal up and then come back for me.”

He could see Sylvain weighing it up in his head. It was the only logical option. Sylvain looked like he was about to agree when a look of panic flitted across his face.

“I won’t ask you to do the same, Sylvain. I promise, I won’t leave here without you.”

Sylvain visibly relaxed.

“Okay, okay, I’ll do it. I won’t wait from Linhardt to heal them up though, I’ll be coming straight back”

Felix smiled. “Okay, we have an understanding then.” He motioned for Sylvain to open the door. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

Sylvain inched the door open as carefully as possible. There was only a slight sound of stone grinding on stone before the door was pushed all the way back, revealing a long dark corridor. It was darker than the tombs and he wouldn’t have the advantage to using a torch here. The mask helped a little, the magic flowing in it helping his eyes adjust quicker but it still wasn’t great.

He’d be at a disadvantage in there.

“It gets brighter once you get deep enough. These guys have like magic circuits or electricity running through the whole of the base.” Sylvain explained stepping in.

Felix shook off the apprehension he was feeling. He was doing this for his brother and Dimitri, even if the latter than abandoned his role of best friend to become Glenn’s. Not that Felix was sour about that.

He also had to look for Byleth, couldn’t forget that. Wouldn’t want the Goddess to smite him or something.

Felix stepped in after Sylvain, Keeping close. A crawling feeling on the back of his neck and the intrusive thought of ‘I’m never seeing daylight again’ were his new companions.

_Oh, the joys of being a hero._

True to Sylvain’s words, the further in they got, the brighter it became. Till it was lit up like a bad rave venue or a laser quest party. The walls had glowing blue patterns that Felix supposed were designed to look like a circuit board.

Sylvain hadn’t spoken a word since they’d gotten into the light. They found themselves in a corridor that seemed to stretch on a distance before them.

“There’s two outer walls, the gates will probably be locked, we’ll have to find a key. Should be some guards walking around with them.”

“I can pick a lock pretty well.” Felix said, pulling his lock picking set out his pocket.

“Better picking the guards off sooner rather than later” Sylvain said.

Felix nodded. He’d kind of wanted to avoid killing, but it seemed like it would be a necessary evil. They traversed the corridors with ease. They hadn’t seen or heard anyone in the hour they’d been inside here. Felix wondered if they were in the right place, or if they’d somehow found out and moved the operation elsewhere.

He didn’t have to think about it long.

Sylvain moved so quickly that Felix hardly had time to process it. A person, dressed all in black, rounded the corner, their voice catching in their throat as Sylvain slammed his lance straight into their chest.

Blood splatted against the glowing wall, staining the lighting from a tranquil blue to ghastly red. Felix could smell the blood, a metallic tinge in the air. It was like having a nose bleed but with the horrible knowledge that it was someone’s life spilling out onto the floor.

Felix didn’t have any more time to reflect on it as another guard came around the corner. A spell prepared in their hands.

Felix surged forwards, past Sylvain as he pulled his lance from the body of the fallen. Felix raised his sword, slashing down across the mages body, cutting through the tendons on his wrist. Blood spurted into the air, the spell dropped, and Felix used the opportunity to drive his sword through the mages throat. Silencing any spell or scream for help he had.

“Finished already? I was hoping for more of a challenge.” Felix said, the words flowing out without conscience.

He pulled his sword free.

He felt sick to his stomach. Gritting his teeth, he checked the fallen mage’s pockets. No key.

“Did you find a key?” Felix asked.

Sylvain didn’t answer him. Worried, he turned. Sylvain was hunched over the fallen guard. His back to Felix. Felix took a step forwards, wondering what was wrong. Was Sylvain hurt?

The redhead turned.

Felix felt a jolt run through him. Sylvain’s eyes were pitch black, gone was the honey and warmth he’d be used to. All the was left was a deep hunger. His hands had once again expended into claws, though this time there were bathed in red. He snarled at Felix.

Oh god, this had been a mistake.

He’d taken Sylvain’s humanity for granted and forgotten that he was dealing with a blood sucking monster. The easy-going days in the woods had made him forget that.

Sylvain’s lips were tinted red. His teeth elongated. He hissed at Felix.

This was the first time that Felix actually feared him. There was nothing in his eyes to show that he recognised Felix as a friend. All he could see was a rival trying to take his meal.

When was the last time Sylvain had fed properly?

When was the last time he’d been able to drink directly from the vein?

Felix took a careful step back. Keeping his stance as big as he could manage.

What was he going to do? Was he going to run? He’d promised Sylvain that he wouldn’t leave him here but the thing in front of him didn’t look like his friend at all.

Felix’s foot hit something, he broke eye contact, looking down at the obstruction.

The bloodied body of his first victim lay before him, bleeding out. Felix didn’t have a chance to think or regret anything. He bent down, grabbing the mages arm with more strength than he thought possible.

He threw the mage towards Sylvain, his body slamming down in front of the vampire.

“Drink your fill. Remember, we have a job to do.” Felix said, surprising himself as his voice stayed steady.

He didn’t take his eyes off Sylvain as the monster reached down, taking the tribute and drinking deeply.

Felix shuddered as his teeth sunk into the wrecked skin, covering Sylvain’s chin in crimson. He couldn’t look away as Sylvain drank. Told himself he shouldn’t, he should get used to this.

It was poetic justice. They’d turned Sylvain into this beast and now he fed upon his creators.

Sylvain’s eyes slowly turned back to gold as he gulped down. His eyes on Felix. As he came back to his senses. He dropped the body. He looked down at his hands, then to Felix, shame and self-hatred reflected in his gaze.

He wiped his face with the back of his hand, only causing the blood to smear.

Felix was disgusted. He was glad he was wearing the mask to hide his facial expressions. He pulled open his bag, retrieving one of his t-shirt.

He threw the shirt over. “Clean up.”

He caught it, wiping his face roughly.

Felix had never understood how teen fantasy movies could romanticise vampires. How drinking blood could be sexy or considered attractive.

Felix still felt like that.

Sylvain was attractive. There was no doubt in his mind over that. Just not with blood all over his face, hands and clothes.

“Sorry.” Sylvain said. He wasn’t sure if he was talking to the dead guard or him.

“Don’t worry about it.” Felix said.

Sylvain smiled at him, the mask in place once again. He took the lead once more.

Sylvain liked to hide behind fake smiles and pretty words. Felix liked to hide behind his literal mask. He liked the comfort it gave him. The ability to hide his facial expressions. He wasn’t as adept as Sylvain at keeping up a mask.

“I found a key, by the way.” Sylvain whispered, as they got closer to a door. It was hidden in an alcove. Felix could hear some guards talking behind it.

Sylvain motioned for him to wait on one side of the door, while he opened it. The key slid into the lock, easily opening the door. Sylvain held it open, Felix rushed through.

Three guards stood huddled together. One wearing a plague mask, the other two with swords. Felix assumed the one with a mask was a spell caster. He acted quickly, choosing him as a target. Felix leaped forwards, quick and low. He bypassed the swordsmen, thrusting his blade through the spellcasters stomach.

They jumped back, shouting in agony, but not going down. One hand over their middle, the other raised mid spell. He fired off as Felix heard Sylvain enter combat with the other opponents. Purple gas collected in the air, forming around the spellcasters hand before shooting off towards Felix.

He tried to dodge but there wasn’t much room in here and no space to retreat. The ominous cloud hit him.

His skin was on fire, wherever the cloud touched burned like acid. He took a breath to scream and instantly regretted it as the gas found its way down his throat, scorching him. He fell to one leg, gripping his throat.

He heard one of the swordsmen drop and Sylvain’s should for him.

Felix raised a hand, fighting through the pain, he summoned a Thoron. The lightning magic coming to him easier than it had ever before. Coursing through his veins, it felt super charged. He felt his crest light up about his head.

He threw it at the spellcaster with all his might.

“You’re in my way!”

The scream was loud. It was safe to say that they could no longer hide their presence here. The thoron lit up the corridor. Felix could smell, burning flesh. It smelt like beef frying in a pan. If he didn’t know it was human flesh, he might have mistaken it.

The noxious gas disappeared with his death. His throat still burned but his skin didn’t feel like it was cracking and burning anymore, so that was good.

He checked the body for a key, finding one concealed in a hidden pocket, along with a vulnerary. Felix uncorked it and drank. Healing his injuries.

Sylvain had finished with his men. Both lay dead on the ground. Felix flashing his key.

“Do you need to feed anymore?”

Sylvain shook his head. “I’d rather not. You okay?”

“I’m fine. Are either of those swords better than mine?” Felix asked.

“You’re kidding right. That’s literally one of Zoltan’s. After seeing it in action, I’m pretty sure it’s Felix’s.”

Felix bristled at that. “Well, now it’s mine.” He said petulantly.

“I’m just saying- you fight similarly too.”

Felix clicked his tongue, wiping his sword off on the fallen spellcasters coat.

“Don’t go mistaking me for anyone other than me. I’m not Felix Hugo Fraldarius.”

Sylvain smiled, holding his hand out for the key. Felix gave it to him.

“Yeah, I know.” He said.

Felix could almost hear the disappointment in that.

~*~*~*~*

They didn’t come into contact with any other guards. Felix doubted that they’d killed them all. It was more likely that they were gathering for a big attack.

A choice lay in front on them. Left or right.

They’d entered the colosseum in the middle of the base. They’d apparently done some decorating since the last time Sylvain had been here, because he didn’t have a clue which was it was to the holding cells. A wall had been erected in their path and they needed to decide which way to go first. Knowing that if they chose wrongly the first time, they may find themselves in deeper trouble.

“What about splitting up? You go that way, I go this.” Sylvain suggested.

Felix looked at him like he’d grown two heads. Which was completely lost on the redhead. He’d have to use his words, this mask was a nightmare.

“Are you insane? Everyone knows if you spit up in a horror film, someone dies.”

“Glenn, this is real life. If we stay together, we may die.”

Felix threw his hands up in exasperation.

“Fine, we stay together, until we die together then!” Felix dropped his sword on the floor, it landed pointing right. “We go right.” Felix announced starting to walk.

When Sylvain didn’t follow, he turned to tell him to ‘get a move on’ but the words died in his throat. He looked horrified. Like Felix had stabbed a puppy or something. His complexion had gone ashy.

“What-what did you say?” Sylvain said, barely above a whisper.

“I said, we’re going right.”

“Before that.”

“I don’t fucking know, we don’t have time for a breakdown now, Sylvain. Can you save it till were out of here?” Felix said, more harshly than he’d intended.

Sylvain wiped at his eyes and took a deep breath. “Yeah, no problem, Glenn.”

Felix turned once more, walking off. This time, Sylvain followed.

Felix knew he’d been unnecessarily harsh, but he didn’t have time to feel guilty now. He’d make it up to Sylvain later.

The snuck through the tunnels, right was apparently the correct way to do, because as soon as they turned a corner, Sylvain knew where they were once more.

It was dark down here. It was cold and damp. It smelt like the Fraldarius tomb but with an underlying sour tinge. Felix had taken to breathing through his mouth and attempting not to sniff. Felix didn’t know how anyone could survive in conditions such as this. A rat scurried by them. It was filthy, probably ridden with disease.

He didn’t want to think about the implications that could have with Glenn and Dimitri. All Felix could do was pray to the Goddess that they’d been quick enough and that his father’s wild goose chase hadn’t fucked everything up. Sylvain had survived down her for five years, as a human. Surely Glenn and Dimitri could do it for a month.

They took some steps down, the further down the colder it got. Felix had started to shiver slightly. He’s never been good with the cold.

“I can smell Jack.” Sylvain announced.

For the first time in a month, Felix allowed himself to feel hope. If Sylvain could smell Jack, Glenn, that meant that they were on the right track.

Felix sped up, his footsteps becoming hurried and sloppy. As he started to take the steps two at a time. He could hear Sylvain behind him, trying to shush him or ‘take it steady’. He almost thought he’d lost his foot in for a second before he righted himself as the bottom of the stairs.

Felix was mid turn about to ask Sylvain where to go when his he started to feel really odd, if felt like to was being pulled in all directions. His stomach flipped, like doing somersaults on a trampoline. His vision blurred at the edges, Sylvain going out of focus. He watched the redheads eyes widen slightly, he reached out.

Pop

Sylvain was gone.

Or more accurately, he was gone. He was no longer standing near the set of stairs they’d come down. He was in a large room, fire torches burned in sconces across the room. The room was warmer than the tunnel they’d been going down. It looked more looked after

Which meant it was probably patrolled more often.

Felix froze, surveying his surroundings. He was alone.

“Fuck.”

“Glenn-“ He heard muffled through the wall. “Glenn, can you hear me. You stood on a portal grate. Get off so I can come over.”

Felix looked down at his feet. The metal contraption was glowing slightly. He put his hand on the wall behind him.

“Keep going. Find my brother. I’ll try to double back.”

“No way! I thought you said we had to stick together.”

Felix signed. The situation wasn’t ideal. He didn’t know how he was going to find his way back to the surface, but it there was a chance of finding Glenn and Dimitri, he’d take it.

“I’ll be fine. I’ll see you soon.”

Sylvain didn’t answer him back, Felix didn’t move off the grate.

“Fine. I’ll go on ahead. Be careful”

“You too.”

This was the first time that he’d been truly alone since starting this journey. As he looked into the vast room, illuminated by firelight, he started to feel a little uneasy. He pushed it down, gripping his blade and steeled himself.

Felix kept as low as possible as he crept through the rooms, trying to keep to the shadows where he could. His footsteps were practiced and quite now. Without Sylvain to watch his back he found himself being more careful.

He felt like he’d had to do this before. The overwhelming feeling of not having Sylvain by his side as he fought. He felt totally alone, as if nobody was looking out for him.

It was ridiculous. He’d only known the man a couple of days.

If Sylvain hadn’t been down in the tomb…

He didn’t want to think about it. The weird feeling inside his chest that didn’t feel like it belonged to him.

“How did you get down here?!”

Felix spun, _Fuck_ , someone had managed to sneak up behind him.

Felix didn’t have time to counter the sword coming towards him. He leapt backwards, the sword narrowly avoiding his neck. Felix cussed as the swordsman attacked again giving him no time to right himself.

The slice against his collar bone, felt hot but not unlike a papercut. He hoped it wasn’t deep. His arm was heavy, the blood soaking into his shirt.

Felix raised his hand, shooting out a thoron.

His assailant covered his eyes, screaming in anguish. Felix took the opening, driving the sword of Zoltan into his stomach and ripping it out.

The man fell to one knee, refusing to die, pressing his hand to his stomach as he tried to hold himself together. Felix grit his teeth, swinging his sword with all his might.

It was swift, like a hot knife through butter, as the mans head rolled to the ground.

Felix took a deep breath but not no time to relax as an axe came flying out of nowhere.

He really hoped Sylvain was having more luck.

He dogged the axe, dancing away like he’d done it a thousand times before. He held a spell ready and fire off in the direction of the next flying axe.

The axe thrower cried out before dropping out of the hidden alcove. Dead.

Either Felix was getting better at this or these guys were just really weak.

He hissed in pain as the adrenaline left. Holding his shoulder, he tried to look down at the wound, but his neck didn’t bend that way. All he could see was blood. It didn’t feel took deep, it felt like a long scratch.

He did his best to patch it up one handed before searching the bodies. Felix pocketed some weird looking gold coins. Finding a ring on the axe thrower. It looked like an ordinary ring, but something whispered inside him, telling him to put it one.

Now he’s watched enough scary movies to know that shit like this was often cursed, but it didn’t feel evil. He slid the ring onto his right hand, feeling a spark run up his wrist. He felt a bit more powerful.

Felix pulled the bodies into an empty room and moved on. There was mothing he would do about the patch of blood.

Felix opened the next door he got to. It was unlocked. He peeked inside.

It opened up into a huge corridor with cells on either side of the room.

His heart thundered in his rib cage.

There was no sign of anyone here.

No guards.

No Sylvain.

He stepped in, closing the door quietly behind him. There was only one torch, next to the door he’d walked through. He took it from its holder and ventured further into the room.

His steps echoed around him, no matter how quiet he tried to be.

The fire only cast light on about 10 foot in front of him. He was very aware that something could be hiding in the shadows. Watching him. He glanced into every cell, but they were all empty. The leftovers of chains, rags and occasionally bones.

Felix tried not to look too long at those ones.

It had been a couple of hours since he’d lost Sylvain. He was beginning to regret telling Sylvain to go on without him.

The last cell in the block was just ahead. Felix hadn’t seen hide of hair of Glenn and Dimitri. This place was dark and dirty. It smelled like rot and damp. It you wanted to keep someone alive so you could relace them with a doppelganger, this wasn’t the place to do it.

Felix investigated the last cell out of habit for the other 40 he’d checked. He expected to see nothing but rags again, but at the glow of fire caught onto the bed, he found it occupied.

A body lay on the bed, perfectly still. Hands folded onto their middle. Sleeping peacefully.

It looked like a woman, but from this angle he couldn’t really make it out.

“Hey!” Felix hissed. Trying to be quiet but loud enough to wake them.

The person on the bed didn’t stir.

“Oi!” Felix tried louder.

He got no response.

Felix exhaled in annoyance, reaching into his pocket and taking out the lock picking kit. He just had to hope they didn’t have some bullshit crest specific lock on it. He fixed the torch on a sconce, giving him just enough light.

He fiddled, carefully doing exactly what Ashe had shown him. With a bit of a struggle, to the point that he felt the tool was going to snap in the lock, it clicked open.

The gate squeaked open.

_I hope this isn’t a trap._

“Hey, Lady?” Felix said, because now he could see it was a woman lying in the bed.

She was wearing men’s clothes and had her hair tied up in an updo. It was the strangest mint green shade he’d ever seen. She slept soundly. Not even jolting as he tried to shake her arm. If not for the fact he could see her chest rising and falling, he would have thought her dead.

“Hey, miss, wake up.”

Nothing. A great load of nothing

Felix checked her pulse.

“Okay.” He breathed. “That’s not right.”

She didn’t have a pulse. Yet she felt warm to the touch and she was breathing, he was sure of it. Had they done something to her. Like what they’d done to Sylvain. It wouldn’t be weird for her not to have a pulse of she was a vampire.

Regardless. He couldn’t leave her here.

He’d have to carry her. Against his better judgement he sheathed his sword. It wasn’t the most dignified way to carry someone but it would be the easiest and leave his hand free to cast spells.

He picked her up in a fireman’s lift and dropped her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Felix grunted from the weight. She was heavier than she looked, what was she? All muscle? She weighed a ton!

He stepped out of the cell, looking back to check if anyone had followed the racket he’d be making. Once he was sure the coast was clear, he marched the rest of the way.

The torch was left behind, he wouldn’t be able to protect them both and carry his new companion.

“Oh, shit, you must be that Byleth person the little goddess was talking about.” Felix muttered to himself.

“Might explain why you don’t have a pulse-“ Felix carried on. “Guess that also makes you my great- great-however many times- grandmother.”

Filling in the silence with mindless chatter was making him feel less freaked out. He supposed that’s why Sylvain constantly talked. Walking in the dark, trying not to stumble. He found an odd comfort in carrying the prof-

A dizziness came over him, a staggered with Byleth, hand against a stone wall. He’d made it out of the cells then.

“- where you’ve been. Can you hear me?”

It was the shrill little girl from before, the goddess.

Felix jumped slightly. As the air blurred before him and a floating girl was present. She looked as surprised to see him as he was her.

“You again! Oh, I see you’ve found Byleth. Is she sleeping! Honestly, that girl”

Felix looked around, expecting to find himself in that endless vast room again. He didn’t feel that weird out of body experience though.

Which probably meant that he was now seeing Sothis in the real world.

“Er, she’s unconscious and her heart isn’t beating.”

Sothis seemed to relax, leaning backwards in an invisible chair.

“Yes, she does that-“ She narrowed her eyes at Felix “Oh, is this the mask you were talking about? It’s very nice. It even changes your voice!”

Felix didn’t know it did that.

“Do you know a way out of here? Or where Sylvain and my brother is?”

She pondered for a second. “Well, I’ve never been down here before and unfortunately my vessel is sleeping. You’re on your own.” She shrugged.

Felix bristled.

“What kind of goddess are you, if you can’t actually do anything!”

“Oh, how mean! I’ve given you my power, you ungrateful little-“ She took a calming breath. “I’m limited to how much I can do while she still sleeps. I can guide you towards the Gautier child.”

“Sylvain? You know where he is?”

“Of course. I always know where all of Byleth’s students are.”

Felix nodded, shifting with Byleth once more. He stepped forward.

“Guide away” He said gruffly.

Sothis floated in front. She warned him when a guard was passing. Told him how many enemies were in a room, so he could leave Byleth at the door and get the upper hand. It was like he could see the whole of the battlefield, knew every weapon his targets had could counteract them before they even had a chance to take a glimpse of him.

“Mind your left. There’s a pit.” Sothis said with a yawn. 

Felix rolled his eyes. It was huge. Of course, he could see the pit.

They’d be traveling for a couple of hours now. Felix was exhausted. He couldn’t even count how many people he’d killed. He was soaked in blood, his own and those of the men he’d killed. His whole existence was blood, all he could smell and taste was iron. He wanted to be sick, he wanted to curl up under some blankets and pretend this never happened.

He just wanted it to be over.

At least he could see where he was going. It had brightened up considerably. It was warmer too. He felt like he was getting closer to the surface.

He could hear chattering from around the corner.

“He’s just beyond that corner. That’s strange-“ She frowned. “He’s not alone.”

Felix sighed in relief. Stepping round and not heeding Sothis’s warning.

Sylvain stood straight. He was talking to someone wearing cloak, their backs to Felix.

He had two people in his grasp. One over his shoulder and the other under his arm.

“Syl-“ His words died in his throat.

The hooded man turned to him, a wide smile on his face.

“Ah, the man of the hour. I was beginning to think we’d have to send a search party for you.”

There wasn’t a question in Felix’s mind. This man was an enemy, he felt it in his bones. Sylvain was refusing to look at him. He adjusted his hold on the dark-haired man under his arm.

“ah, you’ve noticed. Yes, he does indeed have your brother and the little prince.” The man smiled. “I can see you’re confused, you may call me, Thales.” He said politely.

He took a step back.

Felix didn’t know what to do. He looked to Sylvain for an answer but got nothing in return. Sylvain wouldn’t meet his eyes. Why wouldn’t he meet his eyes?

“You see, we’ve made a lovely deal with Sylvain here. He gets to take the prince and your brother-“ he pointed at Felix, “ and you get to stay here with us.”

Felix’s blood turned cold. There was a pit in the bottom of his stomach, and he seemed to be falling into it. He stumbled backwards a step.

He looked to Sylvain for an explanation. This was part of their plan right? This was what Felix had asked him to agree to if they found his brother. Then why wouldn’t Sylvain look at him.

“Be very careful, Felix.” Sothis said from beside him.

“Sylvain...” Felix said in desperation.

There was just Thales, they could take him out and escape. He tried to convey that with his tone of voice.

“I’m sorry, Glenn.” Sylvain said. “It’s a deal I couldn’t pass up, I can’t lose him again.”

Felix took a step back.

He shook his head, he couldn’t believe what Sylvain was saying. The arm wrapped around his brother tightened.

“It’s beautiful, is it not. Reunited with his King and past lover.” Thales continued. Taking a step towards Felix.

Felix was all but frozen. He didn’t understand. What Thales was saying just sounded wrong.

“Sylvain, we can take him.” Felix shouted.

Sylvain shook his head. “I can’t take that risk. I’m sorry, Glenn.” He made eye contact for the first time since he’d rounded the corner. His eyes were hard, unyielding. He looked through Felix like he wasn’t even there.

It broke his heart.

“They’ve promised to make you comfortable.” Sylvain said, turning.

Felix felt fury like he’d never felt it before.

His blood boiled with it.

Thales pressed a hand on his shoulder and pushed. He’d been too busy watching Sylvain walk away to notice.

His foot slipped, trying to find purchase. The weight of Byleth in his arms messing with his point of gravity.

Felix tumbled. His stomach flipped as he was pulled down into the darkness. He reached out; thought he might have made a sound as he fell.

Plunging into darkness

~*~*~*~*~*

He couldn’t believe Sylvain had betrayed him. That was the first thing he thought when he opened his eyes.

Not the tremendous pain in his abdomen.

Sylvain wouldn’t have done this to him. They were best friends, there was nothing Felix could do for Sylvain to betray him.

He coughed, he must have winded himself when he landed.

He couldn’t see Byleth in the darkness. He hoped she was okay. Sothis was gone too.

It hurt a little to breath, like someone was pressing down on his chest

He heard something shuffling to his left. He hoped to the goddess that it wasn’t rats.

“Is someone here?” He heard a woman’s voice ask. A hand patted his.

“Byleth?” Felix asked.

“Yes?”

Felix huffed out a laugh. Of course a fall like this had woken her up.

“I’m a friend. Sothis sent me to find you.”

It hurt to talk, burned a little. He back also itched but he couldn’t find the effort to move his arms.

“She did? I remember. I was captured.” She pulled round a little closer, Felix could feel her leaning over him. “I think I was looking for someone.”

“Dimitri? She mentioned.” She reached out for his mask, running a hand over it. “It can only be taken off by Fraldarius blood.”

Felix coughed again, tasting blood. His stomach burned. He reached out. A hand took his own.

“You shouldn’t touch it.”

It?

Felix frowned trying to sit up.

He…he couldn’t feel his legs.

“What’s going on? Why can’t I feel my legs?”

“I’m so sorry.”

Felix started to panic. He ripped his hand from Byleth’s reaching towards his stomach. His hand came away sticky, he could feel something protruding from the wound.

“My phone. It’s in my bag. The flashlight.” Felix said.

He heard her fumbling around for it, switching it on. He knew messages would be flashing up from Annette. Byleth didn’t say anything as the light turned towards him.

The hole they’d fallen in was completely lit by his little phone. It was tiny. The floor littered with broken weapons. Felix glanced down.

A pole, no a lance.

Sticking straight out of him.

Felix felt the bubbling laugh.

It was hysterical even to his own ear, tears making a wet streak down his face.

“He actually did it this time” Felix said, staring at the opening above them, so far away.

“…”

“I’m guessing you’re out of healing spells.” Felix said. “Can’t use one on myself.”

“They gave me something, locked my connection to the goddess. I think It’ll wear off in a couple of days.”

“It’ll be too late by then.”

The panic he’d initially felt was starting to ebb as he accepted that he wouldn’t be seeing his brother again. That he wouldn’t be seeing Dimitri or his father.

That _this_ was going to be his last resting place.

It was like a bottom of a well. Is this what Sylvain had felt like?

“Oh” Felix uttered.

A sudden clarity washed over him as he stared at the top of his well. Expect Glenn wouldn’t be there to pull anyone out this time around.

Felix had been the one to lead them to Sylvain after all.

Felix reached for his mask, pulling it off for the first time in three days. He took a clean breath, finally free and turned his head to Byleth.

“Hey Professor, fancy seeing you in a place like this.”

He coughed, blood spilling between his lips.

“Felix.” Byleth stuttered, a hand on his face.

“I’m so stupid. Sothis am I stupid.” It was a struggle to get the words out.

It felt like a lucid dream that he couldn’t wake up from. All those dreams he’d had. Those errant thoughts. The feeling that he’d know Sylvain for longer far longer than he had.

The headaches.

“I- goddess- it hurts. You’d thin-think I’d be used to dying.”

Silent tears were streaming down Byleth’s face.

Felix thought of Sylvain, not meeting his gaze, carrying Dimitri and Glenn.

“He’s going-going to-to be mad.”

He couldn’t breath very well.

“You should save your strength, please Felix.”

Sylvain had done exactly what he asked for. He’s left him behind. And now he was dying.

“Tell-tell them I’m sorry.”

His vision was starting to go black at the very edges. The lance in his stomach didn’t hurt any more. He felt warm. Like he was floating.

He was vaguely aware of Byleth shaking his shoulder, shouting his name and Sothis’ together.

**Author's Note:**

> This is part 1. Part 2 is in progress. Hope you enjoyed it! Leave a comment and let me know :)
> 
> Edit: This is complete. I'm working on a sequel. Sorry the last note was confusing.


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